The Indian name "Cayuga" means "boat landing." Many people identify with Cayuga Lake because of the line "Far Above Cayuga’s Waters" in the Cornell University song.

   Cayuga Lake, the longest of the Finger Lakes, is just under 40 miles long, is 3 1/2 miles wide at the widest point, and has an average width of 1 3/4 miles. It is 435 feet deep at the deepest point off King Ferry (second only to Seneca Lake in depth) and at 384 feet above sea level is the lowest of the Finger Lakes.

     In addition to the Cayuga Inlet at Ithaca, five tributaries at the southern end feed the lake: Cascadilla Creek, Fall Creek, Salmon Creek, Six-Mile Creek and Taughannock Creek. Cayuga Lake outlets into the Seneca and Cayuga Canal, which joins the northern ends of Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. This canal connects with the Erie Canal north of Seneca Falls. Lake Ontario can be accessed from Cayuga Lake via the Erie Canal, Cross Lake and the Oswego Canal.

 Excerpt from
Persons, Places and Things IN the Finger Lakes Region
by Emerson Klees