Conesus Lake

Conesus Lake
The east shore, seen from Long Point Park
Conesus Lake is located in New York Adirondack Park
Conesus Lake
Conesus Lake
Location within New York
Conesus Lake is located in the United States
Conesus Lake
Conesus Lake
Conesus Lake (the United States)
LocationLivingston County,
New York, United States
GroupFinger Lakes
Coordinates42°46′47″N 77°43′00″W / 42.77972°N 77.71667°W / 42.77972; -77.71667
Lake typeGround moraine
Primary inflowsConesus Inlet, Wilking Creek, Denshore Gully, Sand Point Gully, Long Point Gully, North Gully, South Gully, Cottonwood Gully, North Mc Millian Creek
Primary outflowsConesus Creek
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length8 miles (13 km)
Max. width1 mi (1.6 km)
Surface area3,420 acres (1,380 ha)
Average depth38 ft (12 m)
Max. depth66 ft (20 m)[1]
Water volume.039 cu mi (0.16 km3)
Shore length118.5 miles (29.8 km)
Surface elevation817 ft (249 m)[2]
SettlementsLivonia, New York
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Conesus Lake /kəˈniːʃəs/ is located in Livingston County, New York. Conesus Lake is the westernmost of New York's eleven Finger Lakes. It is located off Interstate 390 about 15 miles (24 km) south of Interstate 90.

Description

An aerial view of Conesus Lake.

Conesus Lake is eight miles (13 km) long, with a maximum depth of 66 feet (20 m). It flows south to north, from its inlet in the Town of Conesus to its outlet, Conesus Creek, in Lakeville, a hamlet in the Town of Livonia in Livingston County. Conesus Creek in turn flows into the Genesee River near Avon.

The first steamboat on Conesus Lake was named the "Jessie" launched July 1, 1874, after the Civil War.

In August 2006, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed that the lake was the first outside the contiguous Great Lakes waterways to be stricken with a new strain of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), an infectious fish disease responsible for mass die-offs of many species, but not linked to any human health concerns.[3][4] The disease is spread between waterways through live or frozen bait fish, roe, contaminated fishing equipment or live water wells in boats.

Recreation

Fireworks during the Lake of Fire. The red lights at the bottom are flares.

On July 3 of each year, the residents of the lake participate in a tradition called the "Ring of Fire", sponsored by the Conesus Lake Association. Participants light road flares around the lake and shoot off fireworks. The festivities typically start at dusk, with approximately 10,000 flares lit at 10:00 PM.

When frozen over in the winter, Conesus Lake is used for snowmobiling and ice fishing.

Fishing

Fish species present in the lake include walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and tiger muskie. To access there is state owned hard surface ramp off East Lake Road, a state owned hand launch access on Pebble Beach Road in the hamlet of Lakeville, a state owned hand launch access on US-20A in the hamlet of Lakeville, or at a car top launch access on the south shore off NY-256.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Conesus lake". dec.ny.gov. NYSDEC. 1998. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Conesus Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  3. ^ Crawford, Franklin (May 17, 2007). "Cornell researchers confirm that deadly fish virus has spread to 19 species, threatening sport-fishing industry". Cornell Chronicle. Cornell University. Retrieved July 14, 2007.
  4. ^ "Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) in New York". New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
  5. ^ Sportsman's Connection (Firm) (2011-01-01), Western Adirondacks New York fishing map guide: includes lakes & streams for the following counties: Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Cortland, Erie, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Niagara, Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates., Sportsman's Connection, ISBN 978-1-885010-63-6, OCLC 986498446