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Owasco Lake is the third easternmost of the Finger Lakes. Located entirely within Cayuga County, New York. It’s position with respect to the other ten Finger lakes is shown below. The City of Auburn is located on it north shore.
A summary of morphometric features of the lake is presented in the table on the right.
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Owasco Lake
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maximum depth
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53.9 m
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mean depth
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29.3 m
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surface area
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26.7 km2
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volume
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781x106 m3
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watershed area
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470 km2
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length
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18 km
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average width
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0.9 km
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average elevation
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217 m
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monitoring site
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42º 50’ 30” N
76º 30’ 45” W
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Owasco Lake has the sixth largest surface area, volume, mean depth, and maximum depth of the Finger Lakes. It has the third largest watershed of Finger Lakes. The watershed is largely agriculturally (55%) and forest (41%). A bathymetric map of the lake appears on the left side of this page. More than 60% of the volume of the lake is associated with depths greater than 15 m. The shoreline is largely developed with cottages and year-round homes.
The lake’s trophic state is oligo-mesotrophic (low to intermediate level of productivity). Secchi disc transparencies typically average around 3 m. The phenomena known as a “Whiting Event” occurs during periods in the summer when the lake conditions (water column temperature and pH) are such that calcium carbonate is precipitated out of the water column. These events can often be mistaken for phytoplankton blooms. Whiting events are likely the leading cause of elevated turbidity in the lake.
 The largest tributary to the lake is the Owasco Inlet at the southern end of the lake. The Inlet enters the lake after traversing a swampy flood plain called the Owasco Flats. Nearly 55% of the surface water entering the lake enters through the Owasco Inlet. Other major tributaries to Owasco Lake include Dutch Hollow Brook, Veness Brook, and Sucker Brook. Dutch Hollow Brook accounts for 20%; Veness and Sucker Brook account for 15%; and the other minor tributaries account for 10%.
Water exists at the north end of the lake through the Owasco Outlet (or Owasco River). The Owasco River flows north, emptying into the Seneca River. The outlet’s flow and lake elevation are controlled by the State Dam (owned and operated by the City of Auburn) located approximately 3 km downstream from the north end of the lake. The city is required to maintain a minimum flow in the river to assimilate effluent from its waste water treatment plant. Additionally, the dam is operated to maintain minimum and maximum limits on the lake level to prevent shoreline flooding.
Owasco Lake has multiple resource uses, including recreation, and as a water supply to the City of Auburn and the Town of Owasco. Additionally lakefront property owners draw water from the lake for both drinking water and irrigation. More than 70% of Cayuga County’s population obtains their drinking water from the lake. There are two municipally owned wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located within the watershed. One is located in the village of Moravia, the other in the village of Groton. The City of Auburn utilizes the Outlet to assimilate the effluent from its water water treatment plant.
Recreational use of the lake includes swimming, boating and fishing. The lake supports both a cold-water and warm water fishery. Fish species include: lake trout, brown trout, yellow perch, northern pike, salmon, and small mouth bass.
Residents of the Owasco Lake watershed have taken a active interest in protecting and monitoring the lake and watershed. There are sampling programs conducted by the City of Auburn, Cayuga County Department of Health and Human Services, Cayuga County Planning Department, Owasco Watershed Lake Association (OWLA), and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE). Additionally, the Owasco Watershed Lake Association is actively involved in preserving the quality of both the lake and watershed by publishing an annual newsletter, conducting meets, supporting water quality sampling, and assisting in the support of the robotic buoy located ob the lake.
The lake meets or exceeds most water quality standards for a NYSDEC AA water body, however there have been elevated periods of fecal coliform in the north end of the lake primarily associated with wildlife.
The acquisition and maintenance of the Owasco Lake robotic buoy was made possible by funds from the Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology at Cayuga Community College (IAGT).
Additional information on Owasco Lake and its watershed can be found in the State of Lake publication from the Cayuga County Water Quality Management Agency.
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