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42,956-acre lake near Ithaca. The lake tops out around 435 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Cayuga Lake maps at 42,884 acres behind 100.8 miles of shoreline, with 6 islands in the mix. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.5) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 23% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 36.8 mi with a 7.1-mi widest point. Cayuga County claims this one. Seneca Lake sits 11 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring lake trout on Cayuga Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. Put Offshore hump first on the milk run — an offshore hump near 109 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (35 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (109 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (20 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (20 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
When the water first warms, landlocked salmon slide up into 1 to 15 ft. Summer is a 25 to 60 ft game here, winter a 10 to 40 ft one. Start at Seneca River inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + streamer down deep or a thin spoon on lead core rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Seneca River inflow (1 ft) | Streamer flies (Grey Ghost) off boards, Thin spoon (Mooselook style) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (35 ft) | Dodger + streamer down deep, Thin spoon on lead core |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Seneca River inflow (1 ft) | Casting spoon at the mouths, Streamers |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (35 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Swedish pimple + smelt |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown trout in 3 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 25 to 60 ft, wintering in 5 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 35 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Seneca River inflow (1 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (35 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Seneca River inflow (1 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (35 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 45 ft. Put Offshore hump first on the milk run — an offshore hump near 20 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (20 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (20 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (35 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring largemouth bass on Cayuga Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Weed flat — weed flat, 8 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (8 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (35 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 15 ft. Put Weed flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 8 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (8 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Weed flat (8 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Cayuga Lake also holds chain pickerel (3 to 15 ft in summer), yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer), freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Cayuga Lake carries 27 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 371 ft down.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026* | Brown Trout | 18,020 | ~8" |
| April 2026* | Brown Trout | 9,010 | ~8" |
| November 2025* | Lake Trout | 70,000 | ~6.5" |
| September 2025* | Lake Sturgeon | 3,000 | ~6" |
| June 2025* | Brown Trout | 2,895 | ~7.5" |
| May 2025* | Landlocked Salmon | 3,090 | ~6.69" |
| May 2025* | Landlocked Salmon | 10,320 | ~6.69" |
| April 2025* | Brown Trout | 8,920 | ~7.8" |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: NYSDEC fish-stocking lists, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Cayuga Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Cayuga Lake is about 435 ft (133 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target lake trout, landlocked salmon, brown trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, northern pike, chain pickerel, yellow perch, crappie, bluegill, rock bass, pumpkinseed, channel catfish, freshwater drum, brown bullhead on Cayuga Lake.
Seneca River inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for landlocked salmon in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For lake trout, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per NYSDEC fish-stocking lists records, Cayuga Lake was most recently stocked April 2026 with 18,020 brown trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Cayuga Lake is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Seneca Lake 11 mi · Owasco Lake 14 mi · Lake Como 21 mi · Skaneateles Lake 21 mi · Cayuta Lake 23 mi · Otisco Lake 24 mi · Keuka Lake 25 mi · Waneta Lake 26 mi · Lamoka Lake 27 mi · Dryden Lake 28 mi · Little York Lake 28 mi · Tully Lake 30 mi
See how Cayuga Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best northern pike lakes in New York · best crappie lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.