Free, open all yearFell Foot
Fell Foot Park, Staveley-in-Cartmel
Public lakeshore swimming at Fell Foot Park on Windermere, with changing facilities, showers and water-safety advice.
Lakes and tarns in Lake District
59 lakes and tarns you can swim in across Lake District, each checked for public access.
59 spots listed59 lakes and tarns
59 spots in Lake District
Free, open all year
Free, open all yearLoweswater
Loweswater
A small lake in a wooded valley where public swimming is permitted and powered craft are not allowed.
Free, open all yearButtermere
Buttermere
Buttermere is an open-access lake with shore swimming, no powered craft and a footpath around the water.
Free, open all yearDerwentwater
Stair
Derwentwater is a large lake with publicly accessible shoreline where swimming is allowed, alongside active boat use.
Free, open all yearGrasmere
Grasmere
Grasmere is a lake in the Lake District National Park where public swimming is permitted and motor boats are prohibited.
Free, open all yearRydal Water
Rydal
Rydal Water is a small lake where individual recreational swimming is allowed, with public access from routes near White Moss Common and Pelter Bridge.
Free, open all yearUllswater
Watermillock
Large open-access lake where swimming is allowed, with boat traffic and changing conditions requiring care.
Free, open all yearConiston Water
Torver
A large navigable lake where public swimming is permitted, with boating activity and public access at several shoreline locations.
Free, open all yearCrummock Water
Buttermere
Crummock Water is a clear, rocky-bottomed lake between Buttermere and Loweswater, with swimming permitted and no powered craft.
Free, open all yearBassenthwaite Lake
Bassenthwaite National Nature Reserve, Bassenthwaite
Bassenthwaite Lake is a protected lake with public lakeshore access and swimming allowed alongside boating and fishing activities.
Free, open all yearWatendlath Tarn
Rosthwaite
Watendlath Tarn is a National Trust mountain tarn in Borrowdale, reached by a single-track road and surrounded by Lake District fells.
Seasonal, freeWindermere, Lakeside YMCA
YMCA Lakeside, Finsthwaite
Designated bathing water on Windermere beside YMCA Lakeside on the lake’s south-west shore.
Free, open all yearWindermere, Rayrigg Meadow
Rayrigg Meadow, Windermere
A public lake-shore swimming area with jetties and an accessible path at Rayrigg Meadow on Windermere.
Seasonal, freeConiston Water, Brown Howe
High Nibthwaite
Designated bathing water on Coniston Water, with public swimming and water-quality monitoring during the bathing-water season.
Free, open all yearConiston Boating Centre
Coniston
Public swimming is allowed from Coniston Boating Centre on the shore of designated bathing water Coniston Water.
Free, open all yearMonk Coniston
Coniston Water, Coniston
Public wild swimming on the northern shore of Coniston Water at a designated bathing-water site.
Seasonal, advice against swimmingDerwent Water at Crow Park
Crow Park, Keswick, Keswick
A publicly accessible lakeshore swimming spot at Crow Park on Derwent Water beside Keswick.
Free, open all yearWindermere
Windermere
Windermere is a large lake where public swimming is allowed, with boats using the water.
Open, free swimmingBrotherswater
Patterdale
Brotherswater is a small lake south of Ullswater, with a footpath around much of its wooded shoreline.
Free, open all yearSmall Water
Sadgill
Small Water is a small lake near Shap in the Lake District where visitors may swim.
Open, free access
Free, open all yearBlea Tarn
Borrowdale
Blea Tarn is a small lake in the Langdale valley within the Lake District National Park.
Free, open all yearEasedale Tarn
Grasmere
Mountain tarn in a glacial bowl above Easedale Valley, reached on foot from Grasmere beside Sourmilk Gill.
Free, open all yearHard Tarn
Glenridding
A remote, high mountain tarn above Ruthwaite Cove, reached by a steep pathless ascent from Grizedale.
Free, open all yearGrisedale Tarn
Grasmere
Mountain tarn between Fairfield and Dollywaggon Pike, reached by a footpath from Patterdale along Grisedale Beck.
Free, open all yearFloutern Tarn
Loweswater
A small, high tarn below Great Borne, reached on foot via Floutern Pass between Ennerdale and Buttermere.
Open, no lifeguardBleaberry Tarn
Buttermere
Small natural mountain tarn below Red Pike and High Stile, reached by a steep walk from Buttermere village.
Free, open all yearDalehead Tarn
Seatoller
Dalehead Tarn is a small mountain tarn below Dale Head, north of Honister Pass in the Lake District.
Free, open all yearTarn at Leaves
Rosthwaite Fell, Borrowdale, Borrowdale
A shallow, reedy tarn in a hollow between the two high points of Rosthwaite Fell.
Free, open all year
Free, open all yearLow Water
Coniston
A high-altitude tarn below Brim Fell and Coniston Old Man, reached on foot from Coniston.
Free, open all yearGoat's Water
Coniston
Goat's Water is a small tarn between Dow Crag and the Old Man of Coniston in the Lake District National Park.
Free, open all yearBeacon Tarn
High Nibthwaite
Beacon Tarn is a small upland tarn below Beacon Fell, reached by foot and used for wild swimming.
Free, open all yearAlcock Tarn
Grasmere
Alcock Tarn is a small upland tarn near Grasmere, reached by a steep footpath in the Lake District.
Free, open all yearBowscale Tarn
Mungrisdale
Bowscale Tarn is a remote corrie lake below Bowscale Fell, reached by a public bridleway from the Mungrisdale–Mosedale road.
Free, open all yearScales Tarn
Scales
Scales Tarn is a mountain tarn in a glacial amphitheatre below Blencathra, reached by walking routes from Scales or Threlkeld.
Open, free accessHarrop Tarn
Wythburn Forest, Borrowdale
A small freshwater tarn in Wythburn Forest, west of Thirlmere, with access from nearby car parks.
Free, open all yearPotter Tarn
Potter Fell, Bowston
Potter Tarn is a reservoir and tarn in Potter Fell, near Strickland Roger, where outdoor swimming is described.
Free, open all yearWood Moss Tarn
Grizedale Forest, Satterthwaite
A small tarn in Grizedale Forest near Satterthwaite where general Lake District guidance permits swimming.
Open, free accessKemp Tarn
Staveley
Kemp Tarn is a small tarn near Ings in the Lake District National Park where open-water swimming is permitted.
Free, open all yearRoundsea Tarn
Haverthwaite
Small tarn near Roudsea, in the Lake District National Park, where general national park swimming guidance applies.
Free, open all yearScandale Tarn
Rydal
Small tarn near Scandale Pass in the eastern Lake District, reached by fell paths and suitable for an unstaffed open-water dip.
Free, open all yearLang How Tarn
Chapel Stile
A small tarn near Lang How in the Lake District National Park, reached on fell walking routes near Elterwater.
Free, open all yearBurnmoor Tarn
Boot
Remote natural tarn in Eskdale Moor, reached by fell paths and flowing into the River Esk.
Free, open all yearAngle Tarn
Seatoller
Remote high-altitude tarn in the Lake District National Park with several shore entry points described for wild swimming.
Free, open all yearLanty Tarn
Watermillock
Lanty's Tarn is a small tarn above Glenridding in the Lake District National Park where visitors may swim.
Free, open all yearElter Water
Elterwater
Elter Water is a lake with public access to a small shingle beach on its eastern shore.
Free, open all yearCubby's Tarn
Grizedale Forest, Satterthwaite
Cubby's Tarn is a tarn in Grizedale Forest, within the Lake District near Satterthwaite.
Free, open all yearLingmoor Tarn
Lingmoor Fell, Chapel Stile
A small isolated mountain tarn on Lingmoor Fell, about 200 metres long, with rocky shores, heather and several small islands.
Free, open all yearHigh Dam
Finsthwaite
High Dam is a public-access tarn near Finsthwaite with paths around the shore and opportunities for swimming.
Free, open all yearTarn Hows
Hawkshead
Tarn Hows is a man-made tarn in the Lake District National Park, reached by a circular walking route from the main car park.
Free, open all yearRed Tarn
Glenridding
Red Tarn is a high mountain tarn below Helvellyn's Striding Edge and Swirral Edge, reached by paths from Glenridding.
Free, open all yearMuncaster Tarn
Ravenglass
A small tarn on Muncaster Fell near Ravenglass, reached by walking routes through woodland and open fell.
Free, open all yearCogra Moss
Lamplugh
Cogra Moss is a shallow reservoir east of Lamplugh, surrounded by forest and accessed by paths from Felldyke.
Free, open all yearSprinkling Tarn
Seatoller
An upland tarn below Great End, reached on foot from Seathwaite or Seatoller in Borrowdale.
Open to swimMiddlerigg Tarn
Troutbeck Bridge
Small private lake in the Lake District National Park near Troutbeck Bridge, with public swimming generally permitted in most tarns.
Free, open all yearWast Water
Nether Wasdale
Wast Water is a remote, deep lake where public swimming is allowed in the Lake District National Park.
Free, open all yearLittle Langdale Tarn
Little Langdale
Little Langdale Tarn is a small freshwater lake in Little Langdale, accessed by footpaths and used for wild swimming.
Open, remote swimDevoke Water
Eskdale Green
Remote upland tarn in the Lake District National Park, reached by a bridle track across open moorland.