Is it safe to swim in Ontario lakes?

Yes! Lake Ontario offers fantastic swimming at many beaches. Not all beaches are 'public beaches', some are naturally occurring 'wild beaches' along Lake Ontario's shoreline. Local Health Units often test water quality at public beaches and lifeguards may supervise swimmers in designated swimming areas.



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For those of you wondering if it is safe to swim in Lake Ontario, Waterkeeper's answer is, Yes! It just depends where and when you want to swim.

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The opposite of Lake Superior in almost every way, Lake Ontario is the easternmost, lowest in elevation, smallest in surface area and perhaps the most polluted Great Lake.

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In September 1954, 16-year-old Marilyn Bell became the first person to swim across Lake Ontario. Originally, the Lake Ontario swim had been planned by the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) as a publicity event that offered American marathon swimmer Florence Chadwick $10,000 to cross the lake.

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The Great Lakes are not (noticeably) salty because water flows into them as well as out of them, carrying away the low concentrations of minerals in the water, writes Michael Moore of Toronto. Eventually, this water, with its small load of dissolved minerals or salts, reaches the sea.

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Stay out of the water if Cloudy water can be a warning that there are more germs in the water than normal. Discolored or smelly water could mean there is a harmful algal bloom (HAB) in the water.

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8 out of 11 Toronto beaches are Blue Flag certified This means that, thanks to substantial efforts by the City of Toronto and other partners to reduce E. coli levels, most Toronto beaches now meet international certification standards for water quality, beach management, safety, and environmental education.

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If there is scum or algae visible in the water, it won't be clean enough to swim in. There are also natural hazards to outdoor waters compared with pools, especially in the summer. Blue-green algae is a type of bacteria naturally found in lake ecosystems.

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The reason Lake Ontario stays cold is because it's so deep. The temperature of the lake changes at different depths, which is due to changes in the density of the water. This is called thermal stratification.

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Dry yourself off with a towel as soon as you come out of the water. If possible, have a shower and dry off right away. However, showering will not remove any larvae that have already burrowed under your skin.

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Little Cove, Tobermory Located in Little Cove Provincial Park, the rugged Lake Huron shoreline provides some of the clearest water in Ontario.

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Fast-moving currents, waves and rapids, even in shallow water. Hazards, such as dams, underwater obstacles, or rocks and debris. Vegetation, animals and fish. Drop-offs that can unexpectedly change water depth.

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Lake Ontario continues to be a good source of high-quality drinking water. Toxic chemicals monitored in Lake Ontario are assessed as Fair and long-term trends indicate that concentrations are declining, including declines in contaminant concentrations in fish filets.

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Sediment runoff such as clay or sand can also change the colour of the water to beige or light brown, especially after heavy rains.

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