Toxic Algae is now on every Finger Lake except one

ROCHESTER, NY (WROC) – Poisonous waters loom across New York State as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) have developed across nearly every Finger Lake. A long dry stretch after heavy rains this September have paired with warm waters, leading to the development of this toxic algae.

Learn more about the recent HAB explosion across New York State here.

As of late September, there exists only one lake that has not reported any HABs. That doesn't mean they aren't there, just that no one has reported a bloom to the NYSDEC. That body of water is Canadice Lake.

Data below is from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. It includes reports throughout 2024. Some lakes had multiple reports in the same spot.

Silver Lake – Four reports with the most recent being September 12.

Conesus Lake – Four reports with the most recent being September 10.

Hemlock Lake – Two reports with the most recent being September 12.

Canadice Lake – No recent reports

Honeoye Lake – Over 25 reports with the most recent being September 14.

Canandaigua Lake – Over 50 reports with the most recent being September 19. Most reports are concentrated on the northern end of the lake.

Keuka Lake – Over 10 reports, but none have been in the past two weeks. Note that there have been HAB reports on Waneta Lake and Lamoka Lake (just southeast of Keuka Lake).

Seneca Lake – Over 90 reports with the most recent being on September 19. While there is a concentration near Geneva on the northern end, there are plenty of reports spread along the shoreline.

Cayuga Lake – Over 50 reports with the most recent being on September 19. There seems to be a concentration on the west side near Wells College.

Owasko Lake – Over 50 reports with the most recent being September 20. This number is high considering how much smaller Owasko Lake is compared to the other lakes.

Skaneateles Lake – Over 90 reports with the most recent being September 19. There seems to be a concentration on the northern tip near Skaneateles.

Otisko Lake – 15 reports, but none have been in the past two weeks.

Onondaga Lake – Two reports, but none of them in the past two weeks.

You can find the data with NYSDEC interactive data map here.