Keuka Lake Reviews

We stayed in Penn Yan at the northern tip of the lake. We drove by a portion of the lake. It is a narrower lake then some of the other Finger Lakes. They have many good wineries around the lake also.

East side if Keira lake is just what the doctor ordered! The lake is calming and peaceful! Plenty to do. Wineries hiking shopping in Amish areas!

The drive around Keuka Lake was very nice. Because of its location, homes were built right at the edge of the road so we could not appreciate the scenery as much as we expected. The roads were passable. Just about every home had a pier, most of which had seating allowing the owners to admire their seascape. This is wine country and you could book a wine trail tour, though we did not. The Y shaped lake is explained in the photos below.

Tubing, playing, swimming, picnicking with a little hiking too. A nice place to take the family to relax.

We did not actually experienced any lake activities like boating, swimming but the region overall is stunning, the fall colors were breathtaking, driving along the lake shore was a relaxing thing to do, many small little towns along the way and plenty of choices of wineries, cideries and breweries as well as restaurants to choose from! Fabulous experience for fall foliage time!

Keuka lake is absolutely beautiful and a lot of fun for the family. There are a couple of small towns along it and things to do for people of all ages. The lake is wide and great for fishing or boating.

I went to Keuka Lake for a weekend trip. It was a beautiful trip and very relaxing. The only issue I had is because it is much higher above sea level than what I am used to I was physically ill the first day. Overall a good trip though!

Just returned from a great few days of lake trout fishing on Keuka Lake which has incredibly clean, clear water. The lake is narrow and Y shaped running North/South, depths range to 125'+ dropping off rather quickly on most shores. It is lined with private homes and offer fuel/snacks/basic supplies in 2 locations.
We entered using the public launches in Penn Yan, there are 4 docks offering 6 individual launches with varying depths. The docks are very nice with adequate bumpers and tie down capabilities, parking in the lot is substantial for easy access. Two out of three days I noted the presence of police in or near the ramps despite being mid-week and 10% capacity. The cost to launch and park is $5 for the day with an honor payment box. I notice that the porta-potty was quite clean each day.
We were picking up fish at many many depths with regularity despite having spotty luck on this trip, Mid-August is not a particularly prime season for laker's but we brought in several each day trolling at approx 2 mph at depths of 30 to 80' 150 to 250' behind the boat. Copper perch broken back deep diving Rapala was our most productive bait. Weeds were not a problem even in the channel from the launch, beautiful bass territory for another time!
All in all a wonderful body of water, beautiful town and fresh clean air......awesome!

If you haven't visited Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes of New York, you must put this on your list of top 10 places to visit. The pristine surroundings, and cleanliness of the water, plus the water sports, including boating, kayaking, fishing and swimming would be enough but there is much more. The rural setting surrounding the lakes still provide for exploration of local wineries, cheese makers, potters, antiques, quaint villages, and fresh home grown produce. Don't miss the Windmill Farm and Craft Market on Saturdays and holidays, the Esperanza Rose lunch and dinner cruises, parks with gorges, and sunsets by a campfire along the beaches. Many have biked around Keuka easily in half a day, stopping for lunch at a variety of restaurants. There are many cottage and home rentals with lake frontage. We have traveled a great deal, but coming home to Keuka Lake is beyond description it is so beautiful here.

My wife & I spent our anniversary picnicking lakeside because we had to randomly change our plans. We were all set to rent a boat on Seneca but wind conditions nixed those plans, so we took our wine & food to Keuka.

We were just at one part of the lake, but it was really pretty. I would've loved to jump into the lake but it was late September & much too cold.

The picnic area was nice & not crowded at all. For a period of time, we were the only ones there. And there couldn't have been more than 10 people at a time around us when other people did finally show up.

Definitely a nice place for an afternoon picnic. I think you can rent boats to take out on the lake, so I'd look into that if you visit.

The park itself is free, but we did have to pay $7 for a parking pass. I guess you can ride your bike in there & not have to pay.

Our family recently visited Keuka Lake and thoroughly enjoyed our time. For one, the lake is crystal clear and beautiful. Seeing the rocks on the lake's bottom is idyllic. We stayed on the lake's edge and drove around its perimeter. Much to see and enjoy.

Have been vacationing here since the mid-70s. It is still a hidden gem for those looking for a slower pace of life in the summer. Lake fun and great wineries. I recommend renting a cottage on the east side for one week or two!

A very nice lake. One of the nicest of the Finger Lakes. Clean fresh water, fishing is good if you know when to fish. Bass along the shoreline. Many pam fish. Not over crowded with boats like Canandaigua! Hammonsport at the south end is a very nice little town.

I spent four years living on Keuka Lake as a college student and return every five years. It is among the cleanest of the Finger Lakes, and the most scenic. It is smaller than some of the lakes, so you can easily see across. It's unique "Y" shape gives it an interesting character. The middle of the "Y" and perimeter of the west lake are dotted with boutique wineries. In the summer they have special events which lends to the unique culture and provides something to do for vacationers. Like other glacial lakes, the water can be cold but it is swimable in July, August and early September. Boating abounds, ranging from dinner cruises about a paddle boat, to motor, party, and small row boats. There's an Amish market nearby which provides interesting shopping, incuding for scrumptious Amish pies and pastries. In the past 15 years, Amish from the Pennsylvania Dutch area have migrated to the Finger Lakes where land is cheaper. It is common to see horse drawn carriages, particularly toward Dundee on the east bank of Keuka Lake.

There are some nice motels, lake front cottages, and a lovely, upscale hotel at the middle of the "Y" (often the site of weddings) with beautiful views. It's about a 7 hour drive from the NYC metro area and 1.5 hours from Rochester, where the main airports are. There is a small private airport for corporate planes near Keuka. The little town, Penn Yan, provides basics with an "'old town" feel. It's a great place to visit for a weekend or week.

There is a lot to do in the area beyond relaxing by the lake. The lake is beautiful, there are things to do in regards to renting motor sports or fishing on the lake. The wine trails and local restaurants are quite nice. There are several things to do in Hammonsport if you time your visit.

, there are your wineries, breweries, & great restaurants but the traffic is no where near the traffic on seneca. Very laid back with some beautiful homes

As the most uniquely shaped of the Finger Lakes, Keuka is so special. About 20 miles long, a mile wide and several hundred feet deep. The hillsides used to be covered in grape vines, now mostly forested. Clean water, good fishing, great lake sailing. Wonderful family vacation destination. And when the weather turns wet during those summer months, there are plenty of attractions to visit including the Glenn Curtis Museum, Finger Lakes Boating Museum, Corning Museum of Glass and even Watkins Glen.

This was our second visit to the Finger Lakes region. Last time we went before Covid and stayed on Cayuga Lake which is beautiful. Keuka Lake might be more beautiful and also has great wineries including Dr. Konstantin Frank which is arguably the best winery in the entire region. Both Penn Yan and Hammondsport are delightful towns and do not miss the Glen H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport. It is amazing. We selected Keuka Lake as the place to spend our 25th wedding anniversary and were not disappointed.

Breathtaking views and great wine. Alot of wineries close and conveniently located. We just made it a day trip so we rushed through 3 wineries: Weis, Domaine LeSheurre had best views. Ravines had great wine tastings. Finished with a delicious dinner at the Switzerland inn which the sunset is one of our favorites. We loved our visit to Keuka Lake.

Beautiful lake, clean water, great for swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding. My three grandchildren (8,7 &4) loved Keuka Lake state park, it has a fantastic playground for kids, and parking is free for seniors. We swam at the state park and at the lake access near our rental home, the water is very nice and clean.

Such a beautiful spot. This really is Americas Coolest small town. So much to see and do! Many wineries and restaurants. My wife and I especially enjoy driving around the lake and just admiring the beauty that surrounds it. We always stop at Dr.Franks winery and The Lakeside restaurant for dinner after wine tasting and shopping. A beautiful get away vacation spot. A few hotels and bed and breakfasts. Certainly a must see and must experience!

Listening to the laps of waves on the beach. View of the Bluff up to Branchport, right towards PY, left toward Hammondsport

We have been to three of the finger lakes a few times and Keuka is always our favorite. It's not as busy as Seneca but has great wineries and is small enough to go around the whole lake in a day. Take the time to stop at some of the wineries not on the wine trail, they had better wines. Bully Hill is a must, great wine, great food, nice view, nice people.

This is a gorgeous place to spend the day. It is safe, clean, well maintained in everyway. I have seen this from the highway as I traversed NYS over the years, and finally decided to make it a point to stop this past month.
I was not disappointed. My only regret was not allocating more time.

Using Hammondsport as a base, did two beautiful bicycle rides in the region. First 60 miles ride was around Keuka Lake clockwise and took 4.5 hours, with beautiful views of the lake. If riding, on the east side of the lake, I recommend to to stay off the busy route 54 and instead take the East Lake road closer to the shore. Second ride was 30 miles on the south west part of Keuka Lake, with some tough climbs and fast descents.

This is a great lake to boat or kayak on or drive around to explore the little towns, like Penn Yan and Hammondsport. A lot of people also ice fish on it in the winter.

Stopped at Hammondsport on Keuka Lake on our way around the Finger Lakes area. Great small town to visit and stroll through. They had a Vintage Boat Regatta when we were there and it was fun to see all the amazing old boats racing. Lovely marina area. Small town but very picturesque. Worth a stop.

I was last here in 1968. Except for a lot of new housing, the place is the same. Quite, clean, beautiful. This place is quiet. You hear an occasional speed boat but that is it. We are on the east shore about eight miles south of Penn Yan. Hammondsport is about 10 miles south.

We went to the Keuka Lake state park spending about 3-4 hrs by the lake. Nice, beautiful, quiet place. we did this mid October, so not sure whether it would be this quiet in the summer & spring.
There's a small 'pier' about 10 ft that you can walk out into. A neat children's playground & a picnic area where you can sit back, soak in some sun, see the water lapping at the shore....very laid back.
we did not do the rest of the park. There are camp grounds , boating etc

This is by far my favorite of the finger lakes. The water is clear and no sea weed to be had. Hammondsport is on the south tip of the lake and is the "Coolest Small Town in America". It has some great restaurants and a cute ice cream parlor. Heron Hill, Bully Hill, and Dr. Frank wineries are all on the west side of the lake. Penn Yan is on the north tip and has a great craft market called "The Windmill". Wonderful place to rent a cottage.

Keuka is a beautiful lake. We go there several times a year. There are a lot of things to do for all ages!

The time of year was ideal and the wine quality was better than I expected, though some places were a bit light on their tasting sample size. Overall, the price of the tasting "ticket" was a very good value and the variety of the wine and beer was exceptional! We ended up buying 10 bottles in two days - my wife loved the Riesling wines! We went with family and had a relaxing, enjoyable time. The hotels at the time we visited (mid-June) were fairly booked but the local lodging was very reasonable - we stayed at the Vinehurst Inn and Suites - lodging there could have used a bit more AC but, overall, the place provided a very quiet, private outdoor setting where we all could sit back and talk about the days experience. Plus, its location was good and the management/staff very pleasant. I would definitely return to this area and this lodging!

Three GPSs took us to a part of Keuka Lake that has a parking lot, bathrooms, a structure with roof and picnic benches. We have a picture of Keuka Lake but it isn’t as appealing. The atmosphere was not as pleasant as the other lakes we visited.

We may have missed their nice park. Looking at Keuka Lake’s pictures on line, our GPS definitely led us to a part of the lake that isn’t as scenic. Our research work was not thorough.

A bit outside of Rochester, ny is this gem of a lake shipped like a Y and about 15 mile north to south.

Some fun local restaurants, a ton of wineries, breweries and distilleries to keep you busy when your not in the lake enjoying it.

Highly recommended

Amazing beautiful place to visit
Good places to eat brewery in the area
Stay on lake in a rental and have access to a boat
Lots of wineries

One of the most beautiful lakes in upsate New York, Keuka offers good swimming (pebble beaches, bring watershoes), great water sporting opportunities. Surrounded by lovely cottages on the edge, and vineyards on the mountains, this "Y" shaped lake is one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the Finger Lakes Region. Near Keuka, there are interesting and the towns that surround it (Hammondsport, Penn Yan, and Branchport) there are aviation, boating, and automobile museums, wine tasting opportunities, great eateries, and small hotels and homes for lodging. A hidden gem!

Keuka Lake falls between Seneca Lake and Canandaigua Lake. You can take your time and drive slow and hit a bunch of wineries, restaurants, the city of Penn Yan sits on the north end and the small village of Hammondsport sits on the south end. Take some back roads and check out the Amish farms. Beautiful views.

We stayed at Keuka Escape Cottage near Penn Yan, NY, located next to Steamboat Castle Bed and Breakfast, for a week vacation in July, 2016. The cottage was absolutely wonderful and you immediately felt at home!! 4 bedroom, 3-1/2 baths that were very roomy and comfortable. The kitchen was large and user friendly with an open floor plan into dining room and living room. The cottage is situated in a cove with beach access and the water was clean and clear, but bring water shoes as it is rocky. Our family enjoyed kayaking and fishing from the dock. The owners, Ginny and Jamie, were very welcoming and accommodating. It provided all the comforts of home, away from home! The entire family gives it 2 thumbs up!!

My extended family rented a cabin on Keuka Lake, brought our boat and we all had a grand time! The lake is absolutely exquisite. It's long enough to go for a nice boat ride and was still enough to allow for some awesome water skiing. Kids caught some fish, too. This is probably my favorite Finger Lake because it is crystal clear and not too cold. We're going back in late July this year with adults and kids from brand new to early teens. I'm anticipating another great week of family fun! Come to Keuka Lake!

Keuka, one of the Finger Lakes, is picturesque. We had a glimpse of it’s south end by Hammondsport on a dreary day and yet it’s still an appealing sight.

Visited the Keuka Lake when we stayed in the Hammondsport area. Lake was beautiful with a snow the night before. Nice relaxing drive around the lake.

A great place to get away. Fishing, boating, wine tasting, way too many wineries to count. This is my third time up here in the Finger Lakes region. This trip was in cool weather, but we were too early for fall colors. It's gonn's be a beautiful place in a couple of weeks with the leaves changing. Prices are a little steep compared to home, but they have a limited season so they have to make it while they can. Motels run from $130.00 a night and up. We're in a rental right on the water, paying a bare bones price of $100.00 a night, it's alright, but I wouldn't stay here again. Food prices are what got me. Most restaurants are getting at least $60 and up for a small dinner for two. We had two draft beers, {Yeungling}, that cost $12.00, much higher then at home, Pittsburgh}.

Recommended small lake to stay around in order to visit Finger Lakes Lovely water sport opportunities without much water traffic. Exceptional vistas. Many landmarks and wineries to visit nearby, with great lake side restaurants during the summer. Many places do close after Labor Day. Towns that are near Lake, Hammondsport and Penn Yan, are charming to visit and shop.

Beautiful well maintained lake! Kudos to the Keuka lake association. Truly one of the nicest finger lakes. Very good water temperature for swimming. Plenty to do even if it rains. Wineries to visit. You can easily visit wineries on the east side of Keuka and catch the west side of Seneca. Many small towns and nice choices for dining .

Keuka Lake is a wonderful vacation spot for those near and far. Boating, kayaking/canoeing, jet skiing, water skiing, and tubing are great summer activities. For those less adventurous, the Esparanza Rose cruise ship launches for Lunch and Dinner cruises along the lake. Hiking at Keuka Lake State Park is also excellent; during the winter the trails are used for snowmobiling and snowshoeing. Ice skating is possible on the lake and only minutes away is multiple ski resorts. The charming towns on the lakeshore also have many attractions, such as Keuka Karts in Penn Yan and the Curtiss museum in Hammondsport. In nearby Canandaigua is the Roseland water park, small but not crowded. Rochester is only an hour and a half away for those who need big-city amenities, but the restaurants here are just fine, including the famed Seneca Farms and Penn Yan Diner in Penn Yan. Many restaurants have boat slips for customers coming by water, the lake's unusual shape often results in the fact that it is less time to ride by boat rather than car. Overall- a great place!

After renting a private cottage on Seneca Lake through VRBO, we ventured out to the one of the neighboring lakes, Keuka Lake, one day. The kids really wanted to go on wave runners so after calling many local marinas that rent boats and PWC, I found Morgan Marine. They were very helpful and reasonably priced for brand new PWC rentals. Renting the pair is first come/ first serve so beware if it is a hot and sunny day, get there early to ensure that they are available to you. Keuka Lake is very long and you can only use the PWC in a specified area of the lake but don't worry, there is plenty of water for everyone. Give yourself plenty of time to watch an informational video and fill out contracts etc. Morgan Marine also rents various boats as well. I highly recommend them.

In November, we visited the wineries of Keuka Lake. The year before we visited the wineries of Seneca Lake. If you are looking for a great time and love wine, this is a fantastic place to visit. We visited this on a weekend, and it was quite crowded. I do not like the crowds, and when I go back, it will be during a weekday. We still had a great time and would recommend the area. I definitely want to go back and visit the Curtiss Museum. Looks fantastic. Hammondsport is a rustic town, and I love seeing the old houses.

It's not a large lake, so it's possible to bike around it, boat around it, and drive around it fairly easily. Also, being fairly shallow, it warms up throughout the summer, making for more pleasant swimming conditions than some other lakes.
Water shoes are a must, though, as the zebra mussels will rip your feet to shreds without them.

We rented a house and stayed on Keuka Lake. We also had access to kayaks which we used. The lake was so calm and peaceful. It's a very relaxing place. It's also close to breweries, wineries, little shops, and other conveniences . The sunrises here are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. We stayed on the side that is close to Keuka College.

Highly recommend Keuka Lake. It was beautiful and would gladly go again sometime. We drove from Ohio and even the drive there was pretty.

Beautiful location for just a day trip or to stay. There is just the scenery of Keuka Lake and the Bluff, visiting the Windmill, or many of the wineries. You can't go wrong visiting the Finger Lakes and this beautiful lake!

I used to live in Ithaca. I have been to a lot of the lakes. But I think Keuka is one of the best, here's why:
Keuka is small enough to travel around it, enjoy the wineries and not be gone all day long. The community is more local so it is more quiet and family oriented than the other lakes.
The wind is not as strong so you can kayak, peddle-boat or canoe without fighting winds the entire time.

I like Seneca and Cayuga but it's a different culture. These lakes get a lot more visitors and the winds are pretty strong. Great for windsurfing.

If you stay on Keuka, take the time to eat an early meal at the Switz Inn. They have music outdoors and some kind of "deal" every night. I would make a reservation if you can, otherwise they will put you in the "AC Room" and that is not fun.

I love spending the summer here at Keuka Lake. it's so relaxing and calm. the people are friendly to

Keuka is a true gem - what happens on Keuka stays in your heart. We stayed at Lady of the Lakes - rented all the 2br units for our son's wedding in August of 2011. It was perfect for family reunion. This summer we stayed at the Willows Bed and Breakfast. Wow! That was wonderful! Hosts Jim and Kathy have transformed Jim's family cottage into a waterfront haven with super large decking, long dock, comfortable rooms with ensuite baths, inviting community and dining areas, and INCREDIBLE breakfasts! Kathy will accommodate dietary needs. Jim grew up on the lake and is a great historian and guide. Must be able to handle stairs.

Our visit to Keuka Lake and nearby Hammondsport and Corning more than met our expectations. We toured several vineyards along the Keuka wine trail, visited the Corning museum of glass and the Curtiss museum, and had memorable dining experiences in charming and quaint Hammondsport.

Been coming here for 20 years and always a great time.

Now with the wineries and breweries you can't beat it.

Rent home on the lake for long weekend each year. Cookout, bonfires, wine, and adventures. Been doing this trip since '93.