US lakes & pondsHome › Public swimming
US lakes & ponds81 lakes across 10 states, from data published on each lake's page.
These lakes have at least one beach that an official source confirms is open to the general public: a page from the town, city, county, state park or other operator, an official access table, or the NH Department of Environmental Services public beach program. Beaches open to anyone for a day fee or parking pass count, and each lake page labels them. We leave out beaches limited to residents, members or permit holders, private and campground or resort beaches, dog swim areas, closed beaches, and beaches that are only mapped near the lake or have a public-sounding name but no official confirmation. Those still appear on the lake page with a 'Not confirmed' or restricted label. State agencies post bacteria and toxic-algae advisories through the season, so check the lake page and the posted rules before you go.
We list a lake here only when its LakeRipple page carries enough sourced detail to be a full guide; 81 lakes qualify today, and the list grows as we add data. Sorted by the number of public beaches, then by lake size.
| State | Lakes |
|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 45 |
| Massachusetts | 12 |
| Maine | 6 |
| Minnesota | 5 |
| Connecticut | 5 |
| Wisconsin | 2 |
| California | 2 |
| Vermont | 2 |
| Georgia | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |