Chautauqua Lake
Encyclopedia
Chautauqua Lake is located entirely within Chautauqua County, New York
, USA. The lake
is approximately 17 miles (27.4 km) long and 2 miles (3.2 km) wide at its greatest width. The surface area is approximately 13,000 acres (53 km2). The maximum depth is about 78 feet (23 m). The shoreline is about 41.1 miles (66 km) of which all but 2.6 mi (4 km) are privately owned.
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. Other translations include: Place Where Fish are Taken as well as Place of Easy Death.
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
, instead of flowing north into the Great Lakes. The drainage area is about 180 square miles (466.2 km²).
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, Bemus Point, and Ashville Bay.
The lake is used primarily for tourism and recreation, mostly boating and fishing. Chautauqua Lake is world known for its excellent muskellunge
fishing
and sailing
as well as for being the home of the world famous Chautauqua Institution
.
There is one bridge that connects the opposite sides of the lake. The Veterans Memorial Bridge (aka the Chautauqua Lake Bridge) was completed on October 30, 1982 and joins Bemus Point, New York
to Stow, NY on I-86
(at the time known as Route 17). Prior to the construction of the bridge the only means for cars to cross the lake was facilitated by a ferry, which still operates during the summer months and has become more of a tourist attraction.
The lake is the home of the Chautauqua Belle
an authentic Mississippi River-style sternwheel steamboat, one of only a few left in North America. The Chautauqua Belle is the last of the original large fleet of steamboats that once operated on Chautauqua Lake, before the railroads, and later the automobile replaced them.
Boating, The Summer Wind, The Italian Fishermen, and The Village Casino are also very appealing during the summer months. There are also two very popular boat "hang outs" on the lake, ("Sandy Bottoms"), and located directly across near the Maple Springs area of the lake is Long Point State Park. On busy, warm weekends, it is not un-common to see nearly 100 boats in this area of the lake. Bemus Point offers, The Village Casino mentioned above. A very popular restaurant and bar that is easily navigatable from boat. This establishment also has historical values in the area and offers night life on the lake. The Italian Fishermen, also in Bemus Point. Offers fine dining, and a floating stage during the summer with live bands and events scheduled at various times through out the warm season of Western New York. If you are just visiting, or do not have a personal water craft. Schedule a ride or dinner cruise on, "The Summer Wind". This floating leasure shuttle departs from Celeron, (Near the Jamestown end of the lake) and can take anyone looking for a relaxing day/evening on an excellent sight seeing tour.
While the lake has a similar geologic structure (a very long, narrow valley) to the Finger Lakes
to the east, it is not considered one of the Finger Lakes; its direction runs perpendicular to the westernmost of those lakes and was likely formed by a different process.
, in which Lucille Ball
(a native of nearby Jamestown, New York
), playing the role of Lucy Ricardo, finds a small fish, stuffed and mounted, in a trunk in her attic and recalls that Ricky
caught it at Chautauqua Lake, and was so thrilled that he mounted it.
Chautauqua Lake is of major significance in the novel Wish You Were Here by Stewart O'Nan (Grove Press, 2002). The German translation of the title was Abschied von Chautauqua, which means "A Farewell from Chautauqua".
Chautauqua County, New York
-Major highways:* Interstate 86/New York State Route 17 * Interstate 90 * U.S. Route 20* U.S. Route 62* New York State Route 5* New York State Route 39* New York State Route 60* New York State Route 394...
, USA. The lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
is approximately 17 miles (27.4 km) long and 2 miles (3.2 km) wide at its greatest width. The surface area is approximately 13,000 acres (53 km2). The maximum depth is about 78 feet (23 m). The shoreline is about 41.1 miles (66 km) of which all but 2.6 mi (4 km) are privately owned.
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. Other translations include: Place Where Fish are Taken as well as Place of Easy Death.
The water from the lake drains to the south, emptying first into the Chadakoin River in Jamestown, New York
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
before traveling east into the Conewango Creek
Conewango Creek
Conewango Creek is a tributary of the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania and western New York in the United States.The creek's drainage covers much of southeastern Chautauqua County, New York and southwestern Cattaraugus County, New York. The creek's most notable tributary is the Chadakoin River,...
. The creek goes south, entering the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
in Warren, Pennsylvania
Warren, Pennsylvania
Warren is a city in Warren County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Allegheny River. The population was 9,710 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. It is home to the headquarters of the Allegheny National Forest and the Cornplanter State Forest...
and the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, instead of flowing north into the Great Lakes. The drainage area is about 180 square miles (466.2 km²).
At the southern end is the City of Jamestown
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
. The Village of Mayville
Mayville, New York
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,756 people, 686 households, and 399 families residing in the village. The population density was 875.0 people per square mile . There were 860 housing units at an average density of 428.5 per square mile...
is at the northern end. Other villages located on the Lake are Bemus Point
Bemus Point, New York
Bemus Point is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The village is within the Town of Ellery and located along the eastern shore of Chautauqua Lake. The population was 340 at the 2000 census...
, Lakewood
Lakewood, New York
Lakewood is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, USA. The population was 3,258 at the 2000 census.The Village of Lakewood is located in the northern part of the Town of Busti.-Geography:Lakewood is located at ....
, Celoron
Celoron, New York
Celoron is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. It sits on the west boundary of the City of Jamestown, New York and is surrounded by the Town of Ellicott. The population was 1,295 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, and Chautauqua
Chautauqua, New York
Chautauqua is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, U.S. . The population was 4,666 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Chautauqua Lake. The traditional meaning remains 'bag tied in the middle'...
, the site of the Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua Institution
The Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit adult education center and summer resort located on 750 acres in Chautauqua, New York, 17 miles northwest of Jamestown in the western part of New York State...
founded in 1874. There are many other settlements located on the Lake, including: Fluvanna, Greenhurst, Maple Springs
Maple Springs, New York
Maple Springs is a hamlet located within the Town of Ellery in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States at an elevation of 1312 ft above sea level. It is situated along the east shore of Chautauqua Lake, between the villages of Mayville and Bemus Point. The postal code is 14756...
, Dewittville, Stow, Bemus Point, and Ashville Bay.
The lake is used primarily for tourism and recreation, mostly boating and fishing. Chautauqua Lake is world known for its excellent muskellunge
Muskellunge
A muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...
fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
as well as for being the home of the world famous Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua Institution
The Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit adult education center and summer resort located on 750 acres in Chautauqua, New York, 17 miles northwest of Jamestown in the western part of New York State...
.
There is one bridge that connects the opposite sides of the lake. The Veterans Memorial Bridge (aka the Chautauqua Lake Bridge) was completed on October 30, 1982 and joins Bemus Point, New York
Bemus Point, New York
Bemus Point is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The village is within the Town of Ellery and located along the eastern shore of Chautauqua Lake. The population was 340 at the 2000 census...
to Stow, NY on I-86
Interstate 86 (east)
Interstate 86 is an Interstate Highway that extends for through northwestern Pennsylvania and southern New York in the United States...
(at the time known as Route 17). Prior to the construction of the bridge the only means for cars to cross the lake was facilitated by a ferry, which still operates during the summer months and has become more of a tourist attraction.
The lake is the home of the Chautauqua Belle
Chautauqua Belle
The steamer Chautauqua Belle is an authentic Mississippi River-style sternwheel steamboat owned and operated by U.S. Steam Lines Ltd, operating on Chautauqua Lake in Western New York. Originally financed and built by Captain James Webster, the vessel was constructed on site in Mayville, New York,...
an authentic Mississippi River-style sternwheel steamboat, one of only a few left in North America. The Chautauqua Belle is the last of the original large fleet of steamboats that once operated on Chautauqua Lake, before the railroads, and later the automobile replaced them.
Boating, The Summer Wind, The Italian Fishermen, and The Village Casino are also very appealing during the summer months. There are also two very popular boat "hang outs" on the lake, ("Sandy Bottoms"), and located directly across near the Maple Springs area of the lake is Long Point State Park. On busy, warm weekends, it is not un-common to see nearly 100 boats in this area of the lake. Bemus Point offers, The Village Casino mentioned above. A very popular restaurant and bar that is easily navigatable from boat. This establishment also has historical values in the area and offers night life on the lake. The Italian Fishermen, also in Bemus Point. Offers fine dining, and a floating stage during the summer with live bands and events scheduled at various times through out the warm season of Western New York. If you are just visiting, or do not have a personal water craft. Schedule a ride or dinner cruise on, "The Summer Wind". This floating leasure shuttle departs from Celeron, (Near the Jamestown end of the lake) and can take anyone looking for a relaxing day/evening on an excellent sight seeing tour.
While the lake has a similar geologic structure (a very long, narrow valley) to the Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a pattern of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York in the United States. They are a popular tourist destination. The lakes are long and thin , each oriented roughly on a north-south axis. The two longest, Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, are among the deepest in...
to the east, it is not considered one of the Finger Lakes; its direction runs perpendicular to the westernmost of those lakes and was likely formed by a different process.
The Lake in Fiction
Chautauqua Lake is mentioned in at least one episode of I Love LucyI Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
, in which Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
(a native of nearby Jamestown, New York
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
), playing the role of Lucy Ricardo, finds a small fish, stuffed and mounted, in a trunk in her attic and recalls that Ricky
Ricky Ricardo
Enrique Alberto Fernando Ricardo y de Acha, III, a.k.a. Ricky Ricardo is a main character in the television show I Love Lucy, played by Desi Arnaz...
caught it at Chautauqua Lake, and was so thrilled that he mounted it.
Chautauqua Lake is of major significance in the novel Wish You Were Here by Stewart O'Nan (Grove Press, 2002). The German translation of the title was Abschied von Chautauqua, which means "A Farewell from Chautauqua".
External links
- Steamboats of Chautauqua Lake
- Fishing Chautauqua Lake
- Some history of the lake
- French and Indian War timeline central role of Chautauqua Lake