Chautauqua Lake

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Chautauqua Lake
Coordinates	42°09′22″N, 79°23′44″WCoordinates: 42°09′22″N, 79°23′44″W
Lake type	Natural
Primary sources	Big Inlet
Catchment area	180 square miles (468 km²)
Basin countries	USA
Max length	17 miles (28 km)
Max width	2 miles (3 km)
Surface area	13,000 acres (53 km²)
Max depth	78 feet (23 m)
Shore length¹	41 miles (66 km)
Surface elevation	1,308 feet (399 m)
Settlements	Jamestown, New York
¹ Shore length is an imprecise measure which may not be standardized for this article.

Chautauqua Lake is located entirely within Chautauqua County, New York, USA. The lake is approximately 17 miles (28 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 of which all but 2.6 miles 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, entering the Allegheny River and the Ohio River, instead of flowing north into the Great Lakes. The drainage area is about 180 square miles.

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, Cheney's 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 bridge travels from Bemus Point, New York to Stow. Additionally, there is a ferry that at one time ran the same course.