Cuba Lake, Reservoir in Allegany County and Cattaraugus County, New York, US

Cuba Lake is a 454-acre reservoir north of the village of Cuba, mostly in the town of Cuba, Allegany County, with a small part in Cattaraugus County. It has a maximum depth of 49 feet and an average depth of 17 feet. Rawson Creek feeds it at the northwest end, and it drains south through the Cuba Lake Outlet toward Oil Creek.

Cuba Lake was built between 1852 and 1858 as the Oil Creek Reservoir, a feeder for the Genesee Valley Canal, impounded by a 60-foot dam costing $150,000. After the canal was replaced by a railroad in 1878, the reservoir was kept to maintain Erie Canal levels; lobbying by former canal superintendent Charles Wyvelle saved it from draining. The state created the Cuba Reservation in 1912, leasing cottage sites for $15 a year.

Cottages on state land predate the 1912 Cuba Reservation; the Conservation Commission legalised them with five-year leases at $15 a year. Since 1981 the Cuba Lake District has rented the land from New York State and collected lease fees from residents, many of whose cottages are now permanent homes.

Access the lake from West Shore Road where you will find a public boat launch with a concrete ramp and floating docks, plus a hand launch area for canoes and kayaks. The parking area accommodates about 24 cars with trailers and 10 additional vehicles; during winter, the south end of the dam on South Shore Road opens for ice fishing.

Winter water levels drop by about 6 to 8 feet as a management practice to prevent ice damage, revealing empty space around the shoreline. This seasonal shift shows how actively the lake is managed and creates ideal conditions for ice fishing on the frozen surface.