'Oneida Lake' is the largest lake entirely within
New York (79.8 square miles). The lake is located northeast of
Syracuse and near the
Great Lakes. It serves as one of the links in the
Erie Canal.
It empties into the
Oneida River which flows into the
Oswego River which in turn flows into
Lake Ontario. It is named for the
Oneida tribe of the
Iroquois who live in the area. While not included as one of the
Finger Lakes, it is sometimes referred to as their "thumb".
The current lake is about 21 miles (33 km) long and about 5 miles (8.7 km) wide with an average depth of 22 feet (6.4 m). The shoreline is about 55 miles (89 km). Portions of six counties and sixty-nine communities are in the watershed.
Oneida Creek, which flows past the cities of
Oneida and
Sherrill, empties into the southeast part of the lake at South Bay.
Because it is shallow, in the summer it is warmer than the deeper Finger Lakes, and freezes solidly in winter, making it relatively safe and popular for
ice fishing.
Geology
Oneida Lake is a remnant of
Lake Iroquois, a large prehistoric lake formed when
glaciers blocked the current outlet of the Great Lakes, the
St. Lawrence River.

Located on the eastern shore of Oneida Lake,
Sylvan Beach, New York is a popular summer boating destination thanks to its shallow water and sandy bottom.
The Erie Canal, when first constructed, did not include the lake, but later reconstruction in
1916 included the lake as part of the canal.
New York counties and towns bordering Oneida Lake
Counties
★
Madison County
★
Oneida County
★
Onondaga County
★
Oswego County
Towns and Villages
★
Cicero - Southwest.
★
Constantia - North.
★
Hastings - West.
★
Lenox -- South.
★
Sullivan - South.
★
Verona -- East.
★
Vienna -- North.
★
West Monroe - Northwest.
★
Brewerton Southwest
★
Cleveland North
★
South Bay Southeast
★
Jewel Northeast
External links
★ http://www.oneidalake.com