The 2,048-acre (8.29 km2) lake is located in Onondaga County,[1] southwest of the city of Syracuse.

[4] Otisco Lake has been used as a source for public drinking water for residents in the southern and western half of Onondaga County since 1908.

[7][8] It has a surface area of 2,048 acres (8.29 km2) and can hold 21 billion US gallons (79,000,000 m3) of water.

[7] According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Otisco Lake is affected by nonpoint source pollution from agriculture, residential land use and streambank erosion.

Pollution from these sources includes pesticides and fertilizers, sedimentation from erosion and poor tillage practices, and runoff from septic systems, lawns and construction sites.

On the first day of bass season, usually around the end of the second week in June, an annual fishing derby is held.