Oh, I am so happy to be able to write about one of my very favorite places in central New York, Oneida Lake.  Oneida Lake is the largest lake that is entirely inside the state of New York, and I am lucky enough to live only 15 minutes away!  How cool is that?

We dock our boat on Oneida Lake, so the pictures included in this post are from the boat, and a lot of m perspective comes from my experience with boating on the lake.  One of the favorite pastimes on the lake is, of course, fishing.  We have already seen the Walleye tournament for the year, but we also host a bass tournament later in the season.  Visit this link to learn more about fishing Oneida Lake. 

There are also a variety of things to do on the shores of the lake, and most of them are accessible by car or by boat.  One of our favorites is Sylvan Beach Amusement Park.  The park has ample docking for boats as well as lots of auto parking available as well.  The park itself offers free admission and then rides that are paid for individually, games, arcades, and snack stands.  The town of Sylvan Beach offers additional restaurants, places to stay, playgrounds, and a public beach.  It's a great place to visit!

Dining along the lake is also a great summer pastime.  One of our favorite places to visit in the Waterfront, legendary among locals fro its excellent food, entertainment, and view.  An annual fireworks show for the Fourth of July is held on the lake, and the Waterfront is by far the best location to enjoy the show.  Borio's is also very well known locally for its outstanding food and ambiance, along with the fantastic view of the lake.  Borio's is not accessible by water, but is well worth the drive by car as it is very convenient to the Syracuse area.

In addition to all of the above, the typical water-sports are alive and well on Oneida Lake.  Tubing, water-skiing, jet-skiing and swimming are all very popular in the summer.  Snowmobilers make the lake a haven in the winter time when the ice gets thick enough to support them, and ice fishing is also common.  The lake also connects at both ends to the Erie Canal.  This means that you can reach the Atlantic Ocean, the Intra-coastal Waterway, or the St. Lawrence River by water from right here in Syracuse!

There are several state parks littered along the shores of the lake as well, so look for future posts from me as each of them will be covered as their own topic.  Each offers different amenities, so I'll want to visit each of them and feature their offerings individually. 

The picture here of islands is the first of them Frenchman's Island.  Although this is a state park and open to the public, it is undeveloped.  The dock is rustic and difficult to navigate, and the islands are surrounded by shallows and shoals.  I would not recommend trying a trip there to novice boaters.  But, if you are experienced, go for it!  There are trails and a lean-to on the island, and you are almost assured your privacy because very few people are aware of it.

I have perhaps saved the best for last.  Oneida Lake is one of the last places around that it is still possible to get ahold of lakefront property at a reasonable price.  There are actually listings on the north side of the lake from time to time in the mid $100,000 range.  A camp or other small house also comes along once in a while for under $100,000.  The South shore is more expensive, since it is in closer proximity to Syracuse, but beautiful homes with lake views or even deeded lake access are still available at under $200,000.  Call me to find current listings of you are interested in owning on the lake.

I would like to add, for my friends out there that keep an eye on our great Earth, that this lake is surprisingly clear and clean.  There is a fair amount of movement as it connects at both ends to the canal system and local rivers.  The amount of boat traffic is easily supported by the size of the lake, and users are largely respectful of it.  I hope that as we see the numbers of people using the area increase, we can continue to be safe and careful with this gift.  A great resource for information on the ecological aspect of the lake is the Oneida Lake Association.  The site also includes the history of the area and a section on local lore.  It's worth taking the time to visit.