Paddling Seneca Lake

Ok, I’m going to be totally honest with you: I’m dying to paddle the Catherine Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) now because I could find almost no information about paddling it, apart from a few anecdotal reviews. I’ve walked the Catherine Valley Trail umpteen times, and wondered about paddling the wetland, but really only see folks on the canal.

However…it appears as though you can chart a paddling tour through the wetland - and also explore it on your own. Seneca Lake Kayak and Summit to Stream Adventures both offer guided tours through the WMA, where you can see plenty of wildlife - including bald eagles. 

I’ll report back after my experience. Promise!

Highlights

• Paddling
• Fishing
• Viewing wildlife
• Hiking
• Running
• Biking
• Snowshoeing
• Cross-country skiing

Getting there

• 📍401 Rock Cabin Rd, Watkins Glen, NY
• 📞  585-226-2466
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

Features

• Marsh complex: 1,000 acres

• Famous rainbow trout spring run
• Remnants of the Chemung Barge Canal
• Dogs allowed on leash
• Free entry

Cayuta Lake is a 2-mile-long lake southeast of Seneca Lake in Odessa, NY. While much of the lakefront property is privately owned, feel free to explore this serene little lake. 

There’s a state boat launch site on Cayuta Lake, including a hand boat launch with a dock and kayak slide. This is a wheelchair accessible location. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) recently put out a new map showcasing all their wheelchair accessible locations. I thought that was pretty excellent!

At a max depth of only 24 feet, if you fish while you’re paddling, Cayuta Lake is a great place for walleye, chain pickerel, largemouth bass, bluegill, and yellow perch.

Highlights

• Boating
• Padding
• Fishing

Getting there

• 📍Loch Heid Road, Alpine, NY 14805
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

Features

• Length: 2 miles
• Max depth: 24 feet
• Average depth: 14 feet

• Hand boat launch
• Kayak slide
• Great fishing
• Wheelchair accessibility
• Parking for 15 cars and trailers
• Dogs allowed
• Free entry

The 937-acre Texas Hollow State Forest has limited development for human use, but with wetlands, forests and trails, it's a great place to visit. You can choose to paddle Texas Hollow Pond or one of the other natural bogs. 

In addition to paddling, you can hike, snowshoe, cross country ski, as well as hunt, trap, camp, and fish. 

Keep your eyes open for amphibians while you're in your canoe or kayak. You might see northern leopard frogs and red-spotted newts in the wetlands. Beaver can also be found in the waterways and if you’re observant, you can spot some of the trees they’ve chewed.

Highlights

• Paddling
• Hiking
• Viewing Wildlife
• Camping
• Fishing
• Hunting
• Trapping

Getting there

• 📍Texas Hollow Rd, Odessa, NY 14869
• 📞  607-622-8282
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

Features

• State forest area: 937 acres
• Texas Hollow Pond

• Numerous natural ponds and bogs
• No designated launch site
• Dogs allowed
• Free entry

Waneta and Lamoka Lakes are two small, shallow lakes between Keuka and Seneca Lakes. They were dug out by the Laurnetide Ice Sheet, but aren't large enough to fall into the category of being one of THE Finger Lakes. 

Titles aside, these two lakes offer excellent paddling, and you can access one from the other via a joint stream that runs through the Waneta-Lamoka Wildlife Management Area (WMA).

Accessing the lakes is simple with a parking area just off Route 23. If you enjoy watching wildlife or fishing, this WMA hosts plenty of waterfowl, muskrat, mink, songbirds, and lots of fish.

Highlights

• Paddling
• Fishing
• Trapping
• Hunting

Getting there

Boat Launch Site

• 📍 319 Co Rd 23, Dundee, NY 14837
• 📞  585-226-2466
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

Features

Waneta Lake

• Length: 3.1 miles 
• Max depth: 29 feet
• Average depth: 15 feet

Lamoka Lake

• Length: 1.6 miles
• Max depth: 40 feet
• Average depth: 20 feet

• Excellent fishing
• State-maintained launch site
• Dogs allowed
• Free

Along with a host of other activities to choose from, you can launch your canoe or kayak at Clute Park by turning into the lakeshore side of the park off Route 414. 

Clute Park also offers kayak rentals, a swimming area with lifeguards, playgrounds, facilities, pavilions, a skate park, and a spray park. Across the road, you’ll find the camping areas, the community center, and the boat launch sites.

Highlights

• Paddling
• Boating
• Fishing
• Swimming
• Camping

Getting there

• 📍517 E 4th St, Watkins Glen, NY 14891
• 📞  (607) 535-4438
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

Features

• Municipal park 
• Kayak launch
• Kayak rentals

• Facilities
• Swimming area with lifeguards
• Playgrounds
• Spray park
• Skate park
• Community center
• Boat launches
• RV camping
• Dogs allowed on leash
• Entry fee

If you are looking for a picnic and launch site meant to cater to boaters, the Lodi Point State Marine Park is for you.

While plenty of locals use the park for a nice day at the beach, this state marine park was developed as a site for launching boats on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake.

The park is pleasant and it offers picnic facilities such as bathrooms, picnic tables, and grills.

Highlights

• Paddling
• Fishing
• Viewing wildlife
• Boating

Getting there

• 📍Lower Lake Rd, Lodi, NY 14860
• 📞 (315) 585-6392
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

Features

• Marine park: 12 acres
• Hard launch surface
• Transient docks

• Picnic areas
•  Facilities
• Pavilion
• Max 2 leashed dogs allowed
• Entry fee

If you are interested in camping and boating or paddling, this is the park you’ll want to visit on Seneca Lake because this park was designed with boaters and campers in mind. 

Sampson State Park has almost 250 eclectic camp sites so you can paddle, camp, hike, bike, fish, swim, boat, and a myriad of other activities here.

Featuring a marina with 96 boat slips, and multiple hard-surfaced launch sites, Sampson State Park was updated fairly recently to accommodate water-lovers like you.

Highlights

• Paddling
• Camping
• Swimming
• Fishing
• Boating

Getting there

• 📍6040-6144 NY-96A, Romulus, NY 14541
• 📞 (315) 585-6392
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

Features

• State park: 2,070 acres
• Multiple boat ramps
• 96 boat slips

• 250 electric campsites
• Park facilities
• Swimming area
• Max 2 leashed dogs allowed
• Entry fee

At the northern point of Seneca Lake, you can launch at the marina with its well-maintained boat launch ramps. Alternatively, if you can carry your vessel you can launch from the beach, near the swimming area. 

Entrance to Seneca Lake State Park also gives you access to the pavilions, walkways along the lake-front, picnic tables, facilities, swimming area, and spray park.

Highlights

• Paddling
• Viewing wildlife
• Fishing
• Boating
• Swimming
• Walking
• Running
• Cross-country skiing

Getting there

• 📍1 Lake Front Dr, Geneva, NY 14456
• 📞 (315) 789-2331
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

Features

• State park: 141 acres
• Concrete boat ramp
• Marina

• Picnic areas
• Facilities
• Spray park
• Swimming area with lifeguard
• Max 2 leashed dogs allowed
• Entry fee

To be honest, there doesn’t seem to be an official name for this kayak launch site, but Google Maps does hold it as a valid destination point. For this reason, I gave it all the names I could so you can gather as much information as needed.

I believe this kayak launch site is maintained by the City of Geneva. It stands just in front of the Finger Lakes Welcome Center. Seneca Shore Kayak and Paddle operates from this general area as well, so if you need to rent or have questions, I’d try asking those folks first.

Highlights

• Paddling
• Walking
• Viewing wildlife
• Fishing

Getting there

• 📍37 Lake Front Dr, Geneva, NY 14456
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

Features

• Pier
• Kayak rentals
• Finger Lakes Welcome Center
• Transient docks
• Playgrounds
• Dogs allowed on leash
• Free entry

Located about half-way up the lake on the western shore of Seneca Lake, Severne Point Boat Launch site has a hard launch surface for trailers, as well as a beach area you can slide your car-top vessel into the water from.

Set in a kind of out-of-the-way spot, there are no other facilities here, but you will find a pretty good amount of parking.

Highlights

• Paddling
• Boating
• Fishing

Getting there

• 📍195 Severne Rd, Himrod, NY 14842
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

Features

• Hard launch surface
• Beach launching
• Parking for 30 vehicles
• Free entry

Located about ⅓ of the way up the eastern shore of Seneca Lake from Watkins Glen, you’ll need to drive down a steep dirt access road to get to the boat launch in Smith Memorial Park. Because of this, this boat launch site is most ideal for kayaks, canoes, and small fishing boats.

There’s a remote parking lot for about 6 cars with trailers, so you’ll unload your kayak or canoe and then ought to be prepared to walk after parking your car. 

This site is good for launching if you don’t want to fight with traffic at sites where large motor boats are launching. 

Highlights

• Paddling
• Boating
• Fishing
• Camping
• Swimming

Getting there

• 📍 5303 Park Ave, Hector, NY 14841
• 📞 (607) 546-4467
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

Features

• Municipal park: 92 acres
• Hard launch surface
• Best for small boats, kayaks, and canoes
• Steep dirt road access
• Remote parking
• Max 2 leashed dogs allowed
• Entry fee

The Watkins Glen Village Marina, located at Seneca Harbor Park, provides you access to a hard surface launching site for trailers and lots of parking for vehicles. 

Located at the southern tip of Seneca Lake and run by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), you can park and launch for free. 

Highlights

• Paddling
• Boating

Getting there

• 📍 2 Seneca Harbor Dr, Watkins Glen, NY 14891
• 📞 (607) 546-8505
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

Features

• Hard surface ramp
• Parking for 25-40 vehicles
• Seasonal slips
• Transient docks
• Dogs allowed
• Free entry

If you're looking for a place that has it all on Seneca Lake - kayaks, canoes, paddleboards for rent, plus lodging, boat rentals, and a tiki bar - Anchor Inn & Marina should be your prime destination. Just a few minutes outside of Watkins Glen, you can rent 1- or 2-person kayaks, stand up paddle boards (SUPs), and canoes by the hour. 

When you’re done, consider stopping into the tiki bar for some Finger Lakes beverages, or driving up Route 14 to do some wine tasting at the many Seneca Lake wineries. 

Getting there

• 📍3425 Co Rte 30, Watkins Glen, NY 14891
• 📞 (607) 535-4159
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

This livery is located near Seneca Lake, but they deliver to Keuka, Canandaigua, Cayuga, Waneta, and Lamokas, in addition to Seneca. 

They offer a variety of solo or tandem craft you can choose from.

Getting there

• 📍440 Hall Rd, Himrod, NY 14842
• 📞 (607) 243-9100
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

You won’t be able to miss Roy’s Marina while driving on Route 14 because their barn is their billboard, advertising in huge letters “BOAT SALES & RENTALS.” With a 70-year history on Seneca Lake, this family-run business has just about everything you could need for a day (or more) on the lake.

And once you’re there, you can choose from renting kayaks or SUPs. Their selection is bigger than that though, with pontoon and speed boats, and 16’ fishing craft with motors. Want to go fishing in the lake trout capital of the world? Reserve a fishing charter with Roy’s Marina to get to all the best spots.

Getting there

• 📍 4398 Clarks Point, Geneva, NY 14456
• 📞 (315) 789-3094
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

If you are looking for a unique Seneca Lake paddling tour, Seneca Lake Kayak offers various specialized tours that invite visitors to explore, learn, and also paddle in the serenity of nature. Some of their offerings include a Hector Falls paddle, paddling Catherine Creek, and a tiki bar kayak lunch.

If you aren’t interested in a group or guided paddle, you can also rent kayaks and SUPs by the hour.

Getting there

• 📍686 E 4th St, Watkins Glen, NY 14891
• 📞 (845) 489-7884
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

If you want to support a woman-owned, small business with your paddle, Seneca Shore Kayak and Paddle Co. is where you want to head. 

Located on Castle Creek Beach in Geneva, you can rent 1- or 2-person kayaks or bicycles to enjoy the waters and views of gorgeous Seneca Lake.  Paddle the length of the boardwalk, or up to the state park to go swimming. You can then visit the Finger Lakes Welcome Center for a little taste of the Finger Lakes.

Getting there

• 📍35 Lake Front Dr, Geneva, NY 14456
• 📞 (315) 719-7215
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

Want to learn to paddle board? Summit to Stream Adventures can help. 

Guided canal or lake tours? Another can-do.

Want to rent a kayak, buy a kayak, book a fishing charter on Seneca, Cayuga, Keuka, Waneta, or Lamoka Lakes? Also got you covered.

Getting there

• 📍2 Seneca Harbor Dr, Watkins Glen, NY 14891
• 📞 (607) 535-2701
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps

If you’re interested in exploring the Seneca River, which empties into Seneca Lake at its north end, renting a kayak from Waterloo Harbor Kayak and Canoe is where you want to start. Literally.

You’ll launch from their property in Waterloo Harbor. From there, you can go west into the river and historic New York State Canal System. If you go east, you’ll eventually find yourself in Seneca Lake. Rent a single or tandem (2-person) kayak, or canoe by the hour.

Getting there

• 📍1278 Waterloo Geneva Rd suite a, Waterloo, NY 13165
• 📞 (315) 539-8848
• 🗺 Find on Google Maps