Tucked into the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region, Canandaigua Lake is a natural wonder known for its crystal-clear waters, scenic vistas, and charming lakeside towns. But hidden among the pebbles and stones along its shoreline is something even more extraordinary—fossils older than the dinosaurs.
I recently set out on my own fossil-hunting expedition along Canandaigua’s rocky shore. Within minutes of scanning the gravelly beach, I began uncovering fragments of ancient life—small, stone-like imprints and shell remnants that hint at the region’s astonishing prehistoric past.
Canandaigua Lake, the fourth largest of the Finger Lakes, stretches 15.5 miles long and 1.5 miles wide, with nearly 36 miles of shoreline. Its name is derived from the Seneca word tganǫdæ:gwęh, meaning “the chosen spot” or “place selected for a settlement.” While today the lake is a beloved destination for fishing, boating, and swimming, its origins go much deeper, quite literally.
Long before glaciers carved out the Finger Lakes, this area was submerged beneath a warm, shallow sea near the equator. Around 400 million years ago, during the Devonian period, the sea teemed with life: trilobites, brachiopods, crinoids, and other marine creatures. When these animals died, their remains settled on the sea floor, gradually buried by layers of sediment. Over time, the pressure transformed those layers into stone, fossilizing what remained of these ancient organisms.
Many of the fossils you’ll find today are the hardened impressions of shells or skeletal parts—stone-colored relics that stand in for what were once brightly colored creatures of the deep. Because only the toughest parts of these animals survived the fossilization process, what you uncover might seem like just a piece, but it’s a piece of deep time.
For aspiring fossil hunters, the Town of Canandaigua is an ideal starting point. You can find Devonian fossils in the gravels along the lake shore or in the exposed rock faces of nearby gullies. No tools are needed—just a keen eye, a little patience, and a willingness to get your hands dirty.
So next time you’re strolling the shore of this glacial lake, take a moment to look down. You might just find yourself holding a 400-million-year-old treasure.
Canandaigua Lake
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