The City Pier is the simplest and best way to meet Canandaigua Lake. It runs out from the foot of Main Street, with fishing spots, lake views, and a line of weathered boathouses that have become one of the city's most photographed scenes.
Come near sunset if you can. The pier is not a long visit, but it explains the town better than any visitor centre: this was a lake port before it was a leisure address.