Top lakes
LakeLake Champlain
LakeLake Ontario
LakeOneida Lake
LakeLake George
LakeSeneca Lake
LakeOtsego Lake
LakeHoneoye Lake
LakeCanandaigua Lake
LakeCanadice Lake
LakeHemlock Lake
LakeOnondaga Lake
LakeChautauqua Lake
Lakes by county
- Dutchess County3
- Essex County7
- Franklin County11
- Hamilton County9
- New York County3
- Onondaga County3
- Ontario County3
- Putnam County3
- Suffolk County4
- Ulster County3
All lakes (77)
| Name | County | Elevation | Nearest town | Sky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Champlain | Essex County | — | Burlington | 4 |
| Lake Ontario | Orleans County | — | Hamlin | 2 |
| Oneida Lake | Oswego County | 112 m | Bernhards Bay | 4 |
| Lake George | Washington County | — | Whitehall | 3 |
| Seneca Lake | Seneca County | — | Penn Yan | 3 |
| Otsego Lake | Otsego County | 363 m | Cooperstown | 3 |
| Honeoye Lake | Ontario County | 245 m | Livonia | 3 |
| Canandaigua Lake | Ontario County | 210 m | Canandaigua | 3 |
| Canadice Lake | Ontario County | 334 m | Livonia | 3 |
| Hemlock Lake | Livingston County | 276 m | Livonia | 3 |
| Onondaga Lake | Onondaga County | 110 m | Liverpool | 7 |
| Chautauqua Lake | Chautauqua County | 399 m | Lakewood | 3 |
| Keuka Lake | Steuben County | 217 m | Sylvan Beach | 3 |
| Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis ReservoirStonewall | New York County | — | Manhattan | 9 |
| Blue Mountain Lake | Hamilton County | 546 m | Tupper Lake | 2 |
| Lake Placid | Essex County | — | Lake Placid | 3 |
| Cayuga Lake | Cayuga County | — | Trumansburg | 3 |
| Harlem Meer | New York County | 6 m | East Harlem | 9 |
| Cazenovia Lake | Madison County | 363 m | Cazenovia | 5 |
| Otisco Lake | Onondaga County | — | Marcellus | 4 |
| Brant Lake | Warren County | 243 m | Warrensburg | 3 |
| Lake Tear of the Clouds | Essex County | 1,318 m | North Elba | 2 |
| Lake Flower | Franklin County | 466 m | Saranac Lake | 5 |
| Collect PondAfrican Burial Ground | New York County | 5 m | New York City | 9 |
| Henderson Lake | Essex County | 553 m | North Elba | 2 |
| Conesus Lake | Livingston County | — | Livonia | 4 |
| Brantingham Lake | Lewis County | 376 m | Lowville | 2 |
| Upper Saranac Lake | Franklin County | 479 m | Tupper Lake | 2 |
| Lower Saranac Lake | Franklin County | 468 m | Saranac Lake | 4 |
| Middle Saranac Lake | Franklin County | 469 m | Saranac Lake | 2 |
| Saratoga Lake | Saratoga County | 62 m | Saratoga Springs | 5 |
| Oseetah Lake | Franklin County | 466 m | Saranac Lake | 4 |
| Raquette Lake | Hamilton County | 537 m | Tupper Lake | 2 |
| Skaneateles Lake | Onondaga County | — | Skaneateles | 4 |
| Owasco Lake | Cayuga County | — | Melrose Park | 4 |
| Avalanche Lake | Essex County | 873 m | North Elba | 3 |
| Lake Mohonk | Ulster County | 382 m | New Paltz | 5 |
| Canadarago Lake | Otsego County | 385 m | Richfield Springs | 3 |
| Murphy Lake | Hamilton County | 449 m | Northville | 3 |
| Sylvan Lake | Dutchess County | 98 m | Hillside Lake | 5 |
| Lake Durant | Hamilton County | 540 m | Tupper Lake | 2 |
| Beebe Lake (Ithaca) | Tompkins County | 238 m | Cayuga Heights | 7 |
| Lake Saint Francis | Franklin County | — | Fort Covington Hamlet | 1 |
| Lake Carmel | Putnam County | 188 m | Lake Carmel | 6 |
| Lake Colden | Essex County | 843 m | North Elba | 2 |
| Lake Lila | Hamilton County | 523 m | Tupper Lake | 2 |
| Lamoka Lake | Schuyler County | 335 m | Sylvan Beach | 3 |
| Thompson Pond | Dutchess County | 137 m | Pine Plains | 4 |
| Mountain Lake | Fulton County | 480 m | Gloversville | 4 |
| Saint Regis Pond | Franklin County | 493 m | Saranac Lake | 2 |
| Spring Lake | Rensselaer County | 538 m | Averill Park | 4 |
| Lake Oscawana | Putnam County | 155 m | Shrub Oak | 6 |
| Lake Pleasant | Hamilton County | 526 m | Northville | 2 |
| Pleasant Lake | Fulton County | 498 m | Dolgeville | 3 |
| Kiwassa Lake | Franklin County | 466 m | Saranac Lake | 4 |
| Tupper Lake | Franklin County | 471 m | Tupper Lake | 2 |
| Schroon Lake | Essex County | 246 m | Ticonderoga | 2 |
| Glen Lake | Warren County | 121 m | Glens Falls North | 6 |
| Oxbow Lake | Hamilton County | 520 m | Northville | 2 |
| Round Lake | Hamilton County | 524 m | Tupper Lake | 2 |
| Lake Eaton | Hamilton County | 523 m | Tupper Lake | 2 |
| Artist Lake | Suffolk County | 14 m | Middle Island | 7 |
| Lake Colby | Franklin County | 474 m | Saranac Lake | 5 |
| Lake Maratanza | Ulster County | 686 m | Ellenville | 5 |
| Massawepie Lake | St. Lawrence County | 461 m | Tupper Lake | 2 |
| Chadwick Lake | Orange County | 138 m | Gardnertown | 6 |
| Whaley Lake | Dutchess County | 215 m | Pawling | 5 |
| Notch Lake | Greene County | 605 m | Woodstock | 4 |
| Orange Lake | Orange County | 148 m | Orange Lake | 6 |
| Weller Pond | Franklin County | 470 m | Saranac Lake | 2 |
| Wildwood Lake (New York) | Suffolk County | 6 m | Riverside | 6 |
| Fourth Lake | Herkimer County | 520 m | Boonville | 2 |
| Canopus Lake | Putnam County | 278 m | Merritt Park | 5 |
| Flax Pond | Suffolk County | -1 m | East Setauket | 7 |
| Upper Little York Lake | Cortland County | 351 m | Homer | 4 |
| Lake Montauk | Suffolk County | — | Montauk | 4 |
| Ashokan Reservoir | Ulster County | — | Shokan | 4 |
Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).
Map
How to photograph lakes
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
- For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
- Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.