Honeoye Lake ( ) is one of the

Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located south of Lake Ontario in an area called the ''Finger Lakes region'' in New York, in the United States. This region straddles the northern and transitional ...

located in Ontario County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. Most of the lake is within the town of

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...

but a smaller southwestern part is in the town of Canadice. The hamlet of Honeoye is just north of the lake. The name Honeoye comes from the Seneca word ''ha-ne-a-yah'', which means ''lying finger'', or ''where the finger lies''. The name comes from the local story of a Native American whose finger was bitten by a rattlesnake and who therefore cut off his finger with a tomahawk.

Description

Honeoye Lake is the second smallest of the Finger Lakes and is located to the west of the major lakes. To its west are other minor

Canadice Lake Canadice Lake is the smallest Finger Lake of western New York. The lake is located approximately south of Rochester. The name is derived from the Iroquois word ''ska-ne-a-dice'', meaning ''long lake''. Description Canadice Lake is long and w ...

Hemlock Lake Hemlock Lake is one of the minor Finger Lakes. It is mostly located in Livingston County, New York, south of Rochester, with a portion overlapping into Ontario County. Hemlock is a translation of the Seneca name for the lake, ''O-neh-da Te-car ...

, and

Conesus Lake Conesus Lake is a lake located in Livingston County, New York. Conesus Lake is the westernmost of New York (state), New York's eleven Finger Lakes. It is located off Interstate 390 about south of Interstate 90. Description Conesus Lake is long ...

. As with the other Finger Lakes, Honeoye Lake was created by the advance and subsequent melting of continental

glaciation A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate bet ...

. The lake's surface is above sea level. The lake is long and narrow with a roughly north-south orientation, and a surface area of . It is also relatively shallow and warmer than the other Finger Lakes. Its outlet is

Honeoye Creek Honeoye Creek ( )Honeoye Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
''honeoyelakechamber.org'', accessed March 16, 2012 ...

, which flows northward. A major feeder stream, called Honeoye Inlet, enters the lake at the south end. The hamlet of Honeoye in the Town of Richmond is located at its northern end. The Honeoye Lake Park Association administers a large tract of summer cottages and year-round dwellings known as the Times-Union Tract just south of the hamlet on the east side of the lake.

Recreation

The shore of the lake has a high density of recreation homes, many with docks for boats and other recreation vehicles. In warmer weather, fishing is considered exceptional in Honeoye Lake.

Walleye The walleye (''Sander vitreus'', synonym ''Stizostedion vitreum''), also called the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close relat ...

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

perch Perch is a common name for fish of the genus ''Perca'', freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which three species occur in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Per ...

and

bluegill The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds an ...

are some of the recreational and tournament fish that can be found. Popular recreational activities also include boating, tubing, water skiing, wake boarding, and other water sports. The Ring of Fire tradition is annually celebrated

Labor Day weekend Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United S ...

by area residents. Flares are lit around the lakeshore to signify summer's end and to recognize the wealth of the Finger Lakes harvest. In the winter, the water freezes quickly and maintains its solid surface throughout the season, at which time the lake is used for ice fishing, skating, and ice boating.

Public places

On the north end of the lake is Sandy Bottom Park, which includes a life guarded beach, two playgrounds, and multiple pavilions. There is also a boat launch that is available from May 15 to Labor Day.

Honeoye Lake Boat Launch State Park Honeoye Lake Boat Launch State Park is a state park located along the southeastern shore of Honeoye Lake, one of New York's Finger Lakes. The park is located in Ontario County off East Lake Road, and offers a boat launch in addition to facilitati ...

is available on the east side, towards the south end of the lake, and is open from May to November.

Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area, also known as the Harriet Hollister Spencer Memorial Recreation Area, is a recreation area and part of the New York state park system. It is located south of Honeoye, off Canadice Hill Road in the ...

, located on Canadice Hill south of the lake, overlooks Honeoye Lake.

Environmental Issues

In recent years the lake has suffered from water quality problems including shoreline erosion due to boating and

blue-green algae Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name ''cyanobacteria'' refers to their color (), which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria's common name, bl ...

blooms.

References

External links

Honeoye Lake Watershed Task Force: 2005 Honeoye Lake Watershed Management PlanHoneoye Lake Boat Launch State ParkLive webcam, south end of lake, west side
{{authority control Finger Lakes Lakes of Ontario County, New York Tourist attractions in Ontario County, New York Lakes of New York (state)