Canandaigua Lake is fourth largest of the Finger Lakes. Canandaigua Lake has fantastic fishing for Lake Trout, Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout, Pickerel, Bullhead, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass, and Yellow Perch. Canandaigua Lake is 15.5 miles long, 1.5 miles wide, and has a shoreline of 35.9 miles. The lake has a maximum depth of 276 feet. Near the northern end is Squaw Island. About fifty percent of the surrounding land is in forest, but most of the remainder is under agriculture. Of 35.9 miles of shoreline, 34.7 miles (97%) are private and 1.2 miles are public. The city of Canandaigua is located at the northern shore of the lake and the village of Naples is just a few miles south of the southern end. Travelling west to east in the Finger Lakes region, it is the first of the major or larger Finger Lakes (or coming from east to west, it is the last major Finger Lake). The name Canandaigua is derived from the Seneca name spelled variously Kanandarque, Ganondagan, Ga-nun-da-gwa, or in a modern transcription,
tganǫdæ:gwęh, which means "the chosen spot", or "at the chosen town". Canandaigua Lake State Marine Park is located in the City of Canandaigua on the north end. It offers a boat launch for powerboats and fishing access from May to mid-October.
Canandaigua Points of Interest: Bristol Mountain Ski Resort, Roseland Water park, Roseland bowl, Wine & Culinary Center, Finger Lakes Race Track & Gamming, Constellation Brands – Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center, Canandaigua Speedway/ Dirt Track, Granger Homestead, Sonnenberg Mansion & Gardens, Wegmans, Historic Downtown Canandaigua, Naked Dove Beer Tasting & Brewery, wineries, wine walks & Wine tours.
Squaw Island is located at the north end of the lake. It is the smallest Fish and Wildlife Management Area in New York State and one of only two islands in the eleven Finger Lakes. The Seneca recall that the island was used to hide the Seneca women and children during the Sullivan Expedition against the Six Nations of the Iroquois in 1779. The island exhibits an extremely rare form of carbonate of lime forms deposits on pebbles (conglomerate). It is a feathery light rock which is calcified from algae filtered by sand and pond scum. The rock, locally called "water biscuits", is hard in the water but crumbles if allowed to dry out. In recent years the island has been eroding rapidly from the forces of ice, wind, water currents and development changing the wave patterns.
In 1977, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation installed a cedar log buffer around the island to help preserve it. Its size, approximately 2 acres (0.81 ha) in 1853, shrank by 75% in 162 years, to about 0.25 acres (0.10 ha) in 1971. Today only 55 feet (17 m) by 145 feet (44 m) of the island remains. A newly formed group called the Squaw Island Preservation Society has raised citizen support to protect the island and its unique place in science and local history, after state officials said they would no longer maintain it. Work on the preservation was completed in summer 2001.
• Food and Beverage of choice. ( Beer, Wine, Liquor is ok )
• Appropriate seasonal clothing. Rain gear is a plus.
• Polarized sunglasses can be a great help.
• Sunblock.
• A cooler for the catch if you choose to keep some of your catch
