Hello everyone-
Does anyone know how Green Lake is for open water swimming? Is it permitted there and how is the water quality? Also what will the water temperature be this time of year? Thank you very much.
There was just today an article in the Seattle times newspaper online site about this. The short answer is yes it’s allowed and yes it’s clean enough for that (although it didn’t used to be). See the article for more details
Direct link to Green Lake article on Seattle Times:
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattles-green-lake-gets-a-bad-rap-for-being-dirty-for-swimmers-but-is-it-really/
.
Lots of triathletes swim in Greenlake all the time. Rule is that swimmers must have an accompanying boat, or must stay within x yards of the shore. But that rule is pretty much never enforced. Besides if you take the most popular route you will be pretty close to the north shore the entire time. That route is Bathhouse theater (west shore) to Greenlake community center (east shore). Distance is almost exactly 1/2 miles. Try that. Odds are you’ll meet an impromptu group you can swim with because there’s always someone swimming it.
Water quality is good. Certainly not unsafe. Lake is tested regularly and if unsafe there would be notices posted.
Keep out for overzealous lifeguards at the official beaches. They yell at people who either leave their swim area, or come too close to their swim area from outside. Start the swim 100y from their beach and they’ll leave you alone.
Yes. It’s been fine for swimming for at least a couple months already this year. One of the local tri groups does regularly scheduled group swims a few days a week all summer. I did the bathhouse to beach and back route a few times last month. Good practice distance for HIM swim. Water quality was not an issue.
I have been swimming in Green lake 2-3 times per week in the morning since late April. Probably 70’s this morning when I swam and although the weeds are starting to grow up a bit, I swam the circumference without problem. I swim about 30-50 feet from the shore the whole way around (except near the island on the west side you need to stay towards the middle of the lake and then cut south towards the crew garages).
The only two issues that I ever have are the fisherman standing on the side sometimes so you need to be far enough out not to get snagged. The biggest issue in the summer mornings though are the crew boats as they don’t take kindly to swimmers. I never swim away from shore if there are crew boats out.
All the data is here, https://green2.kingcounty.gov/swimbeach/BeachData.aspx?Locator=A734SB
here’s a link to the King County site for their beaches:
https://green2.kingcounty.gov/swimbeach/BeachData.aspx?locator=A734SB&CurrentYear=true
after about mid July, it becomes a bit too ripe for me.
.
Thanks to all for the info!
My daughter lives nearby and I normally visit her a couple of times a year. I have seen open water swimmers in Green Lake in May and as late as October. I haven’t made a trip to Seattle yet without seeing someone swimming. I normally run around the lake daily when I am there. Beautiful community in a great city.
.