Lakes & Waterways

Five Amazing Lakes

Enjoy all that lake life has to offer. Windswept shores, beaches, and dramatic cliffs define Chautauqua County’s northern Lake Erie border. Lake Erie and the adjacent waterways, known as Steelhead Alley, harbor abundant walleye, bass, and trout fisheries, and are home to popular migration flyways. A great vacation destination, Lake Erie is home to numerous water-based activities and attractions that are perfect for a Lake Erie beach vacation or fishing trip.

Inland, Chautauqua Lake has remained a destination for lake recreation enthusiasts who have enjoyed sailing, boating, fishing, kayaking, and other water fun for generations. Enjoy live music on the shore, cruise the lake’s 17 miles to discover numerous public docking points plus the beautiful Long Point State Park.

Several smaller lakes surround Chautauqua, including Findley Lake to the southwest, plus Bear and Cassadaga Lakes to the north. There isn’t a single part of the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Region that is more than 20 minutes from open water.

Whether you’re fishing, boating, enjoying a family day on the beach or at a lakeside park or restaurant, Chautauqua County’s quintet of lakes features all you’re looking for and more.

Bear Lake
Bear Lake is located north of the Village of Stockton and is the smallest of Chautauqua County’s five lakes. The lake formed several thousand years ago when huge blocks of melting glacial ice dotted the landscape, and…
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Cassadaga Lakes
Cassadaga Lakes is comprised of three interconnecting glacial lakes, Upper Cassadaga Lake, Middle Cassadaga Lake and Lower Cassadaga Lake. These waters are home to great fishing and wildlife spotting opportunities. Fish…
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Chadakoin River
Chautauqua Lake's outlet, the Chadakoin River traverses the city of Jamestown, where you can walk, jog, or bike along the winding path of the Riverwalk trail. Enjoy the riverside McCrea Point, Jackson-Taylor (Chadakoin), or…
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Chautauqua Creek
Located in northwestern Chautauqua County, Chautauqua Creek flows north from its rural beginnings, beyond Chautauqua Gorge State Forest, past Westfield, and into Lake Erie. You'll find migratory rainbow trout called…
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Chautauqua Lake
Chautauqua Lake is a popular inland lake for recreation including boating, sailing, paddle sports and fishing. The lake is 17 miles long and up to 2 miles wide at its widest point. Public boat launches are located at…
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Findley Lake
Findley Lake is a man-made lake that was formed when the hamlet’s namesake settler, Alexander Findley, built a dam to power his mill in 1815, thus creating the lake from two ponds. Watersports including boating,…
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Lake Erie
Nearly 50 miles of Lake Erie shoreline makes up Chautauqua County’s northwestern border. It is the warmest and most biologically productive of the Great Lakes and accounts for roughly 50% of the total fish population in…
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Marden E. Cobb Waterway Trail
Two flat-water trails, over 25 miles each with excellent opportunities for canoeing, several launch points, and lean-to shelters. The Cassadaga Creek runs from the Cassadaga Lakes until it converges with Conewango Creek. The…
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