Cayuga Lake is a natural lake with management context from New York State Canal Corporation (regulates level at Mud Lock); NYSDEC (fishery). Lake Insights displays its latest available elevation from U.S. Geological Survey.
We do not have a usable elevation versus the published reference for this lake right now.
Seneca County, NY · U.S. Drought Monitor county statistics at the lake location (not a lake-specific designation)
Abnormally Dry
The largest share of Seneca County, NY is Abnormally Dry (D0), which the U.S. Drought Monitor does not count as official drought. These figures describe the surrounding county from the lake location, not the lake itself.
Severity
Weekly trend
Stable
Compared with last week
Official drought (D1–D4)
No
Abnormally Dry (D0) is present in the surrounding county, but D0 is not counted as official drought (D1–D4).
U.S. Drought Monitor · map date Oct 6, 2026. Updated weekly. Official drought means U.S. Drought Monitor categories D1–D4 (Moderate through Exceptional). Abnormally Dry (D0) is not counted as official drought. droughtmonitor.unl.eduView drought map for Seneca County, NY
Waterbody / project type
General factors for natural lakes like this
These are common influences for this type of lake. They do not identify the cause of a specific current change unless an operator update confirms it.
Rainfall & runoff
Rain on the lake and watershed runoff can raise natural lake levels over time.
Inflows & outflows
Tributaries, connecting waterways, and outlets move water into and out of the lake.
Managing authority: New York State Canal Corporation (regulates level at Mud Lock); NYSDEC (fishery)
Observation source used by Lake Insights: U.S. Geological Survey
Who manages the lake and who publishes the reading Lake Insights displays can differ. Lake Insights does not invent a source label from the managing authority alone.
Shared background — not lake-specific facts
Lake Insights aggregates water level information from authoritative public sources such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, TVA, Bureau of Reclamation, power utilities, and other official lake operators. We preserve historical observations, calculate trends, and present lake conditions in a consistent format. For U.S. Geological Survey, we link to the official source whenever it is available. Lake Insights does not predict future lake levels unless an official forecast has been published by the managing authority.
382.49 ft
StableMostly Clear · 29 mph W
Datum
Current-level source
Evaporation & seasonal weather
Warm, dry, and windy periods can increase evaporation and contribute to seasonal level change.
Ice, wind & seiches
On larger natural lakes, wind setup, seiches, and ice conditions can temporarily change local water-surface elevation.
Good
Best window: 5:35 AM–6:35 AM
Level 6 hours ago · Weather 33 minutes ago · Penn Yan, Penn Yan Airport