Lake Facts
Chautauqua Lake, at 1,308
feet above sea level, is one
of the highest navigable
waters in North America. It
offers exceptional fishing for
walleye, bass, muskellunge
and several species of panfish.
Located in the southeast
corner of Chautauqua
County, Chautauqua Lake is
about 17.5 miles long and
has a surface area of
13,156 acres.Chautauqua Lake is divided into two basins of nearly equal size by Bemus Point. The north basin of Chautauqua Lake averages 25 feet deep, with a maximum depth of 75 feet. The south basin is considerably shallower, with an average depth of 11 feet and a maximum depth of 19 feet. 
The lake's name has various meanings, based on a variety of translations of the original native words. One translation means Bag tied in the middle, referring to the narrow portion between shore lines half-way down the lake. The water from the lake drains to the south, emptying first into the Chadakoin River in Jamestown, New York before traveling east into the Conewango Creek. The creek goes south, entering the Allegheny River in Warren, Pennsylvania and the Ohio River in Pittsburgh and drains into the Mississippi River. The drainage area is about 180 square miles. At the southern end is the City of Jamestown. The Village of Mayville is at the northern end. Other villages located on the Lake are Bemus Point, Lakewood, Celoron, and Chautauqua, the site of the Chautauqua Institution founded in 1874. There are many other settlements located on the Lake, including: Fluvanna, Greenhurst, Maple Springs, Dewittville, Stow, Cheney's Point, and Ashville Bay. There is one bridge that connects the opposite sides of the lake. The Veterans Memorial Bridge (aka the Chautauqua Lake Bridge). Prior to the construction of the bridge the only means for cars to cross the lake was facilitated by a ferry, which still occasionally operates and traverses the lake in the shadow of the bridge. |
MEET THE FISH THAT LIVE IN CHAUTAUQUA LAKE... Bass  Bullhead  Crappie  Muskellunge  Walleye  Perch |
