Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Canandaigua Lake
Peak fall color is predicted around October 22. Plan for the strongest viewing window from October 17 to October 27.
Predicted peakOctober 22
Best windowOctober 17 – October 27
Confidence range±5 days
The prediction comes from 14 years of fall color records at this spot, checked against what observers on the ground saw. Where state foliage spotters report peak (New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Missouri), it has landed inside our ±5-day window about two years in three. An unusual summer or autumn can still move it further. Explore fall color around Town of Canandaigua and across New York.
That is 1 day earlier than usual (October 23): the six weeks to October 12 ran 0.7°F cooler than the 2001–2025 average, and a cooler run before peak brings forward the color.
Nearby locales
Other places to see color near Canandaigua Lake
30 to 60 minutes
1 to 2 hours
2 to 3 hours
Over 3 hours
- Cherry Springs State Park127 mi · 3 hr 10 minPennsylvaniaPeak: Oct 11Status: High color
- Allegheny National Forest164 mi · 4 hrPennsylvaniaPeak: Oct 20Status: Early color
- Cook Forest State Park180 mi · 4 hr 14 minPennsylvaniaPeak: Oct 16Status: Early color
- Catskill Mountains187 mi · 4 hr 44 minPeak: Oct 6Status: Peak color