Did You Even Know These Two Upstate New York Lakes Exist?

When I think of summer, there are a lot of things that come to mind. And one of those things includes the memories of my childhood during summer vacations.

For many years, my family and relatives alike would rent a cabin on one of the Finger Lakes or one of the lakes nearby in Upstate New York. We are fortunate to live in a state that is plentiful with some of the best lakes in the world.

The Finger Lakes comprise 11 beautiful lakes - Seneca, Cayuga, Otisco, Skaneateles, Owasco, Canandaigua, Honeoye, Canadice, Conesus, Hemlock, and Keuka.

Add Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Oneida, and Lake Champlain plus countless other smaller lakes, and that's why we have so many options to enjoy summer on the water in New York State.

But, there are two lakes in the Finger Lakes Region that  I don't think get much attention like the larger Finger Lakes. These two lakes are where I spent many of my summer vacations. They are Waneta Lake and Lamoka Lake. These two lakes are between Keuka Lake and Seneca Lake, actually closer to Keuka than Seneca.

You may know of Waneta Lake, which is the home of Camp Gorton, which offers Cub Scout Resident camp and Boy Scout Resident camp programs.  According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Waneta Lake encompasses 780 acres with a shoreline length of 6.5 miles and is 29 feet deep at its lowest.

Waneta Lake is full of cottages and homes for rent and is great for boating and fishing including largemouth bass, chain pickerel, and smallmouth bass. The closest town is Wayne, just north of the lake.

Lamoka Lake is situated just south of Waneta Lake. Both lakes are connected by a small channel between each, with a boat ramp in the middle to launch to either lake.

Lamoka Lake is just south of Waneta Lake and according to the NYS DEC, the lake encompasses 588 acres with 11.3 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 40 feet. Lamoka Lake also features lakeside cottages for rent and is great for fishing and boating same as Waneta Lake.

The NYS DEC notes that fish in Lamoka Lake include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, black crappie, rock bass, brown bullhead, golden shiner, white sucker, and common carp.

In your summer travels this year, make the trip through the Finger Lakes area and check out these smaller wonders of New York State as well. By the way, these two lakes are also near the many Finger Lakes wineries.