Swimming in Seattle (Renton, Sammamish, Issaquah: apartment, YMCA, live)

[jperlewitz]

How cold is the water during summer? Is it warm enough to swim? Also where can you go swimming?

Can you swim in Greenlake, Puget Sound, Lake Sammamish, and Lake Washington? Thanks

[Hemlock140]

Sure, if you are brave you can swim in any of those places. The smaller the lake the warmer the water, but figure on about 70F at the warmest and that's only at the shallow beaches. On Puget Sound, the warmest is Alki beach and that's not more than 56F. When smaller lakes like Greenlake get warm they often have problems with algae that can cause rashes. makes more sense to use a pool as we have in many fitness centers, YMCA in Sammamish, City of Issaquah, 5-6 in Seattle.

[tobester]

My favorite swim is in Andrews Bay by Seward Park. There are usually others swimming there, training for triathlons. Wetsuits are very helpful - the water temperature is usually in the high 60's.

[Ira500]

Puget Sound is way too cold to swim in. People do it, but don't stay in the water long. Lake Washington has a bunch of swimming beaches on both sides of the lake, and they're quite popular, but they're nothing at all like the beaches I went to in New Jersey growing up. They're not sand, they're grass. People do swim in Greenlake, but it's crowded, and as soon as the water gets warm enough to swim in, the algae comes and creates swimmer's itch. My sister loves swimming in Sammamish's Beaver Lake. Bitter Lake in North Seattle has a swimming beach. But Lake Washington has the most places to swim, and a bit of that festive atmosphere, in places like Madrona, Madison Park, and Mt. Baker , all in Seattle. Renton has Gene Coulon Beach Park, which has a burger and fish n' chips joint right there, vaguely reminiscent of New Jersey boardwalks(where I remember smelling the sausage sandwiches instead of the ocean.)

[texastrigirl]

Actually plenty of sandy beaches on Lake Washington! We like Newcastle Beach Park and Houghton Beach Park the most as they get the afternoon sun and have great amenities. But there are many others...Gene Coulon, Madison Park, the beach just north of the Leschi Marina...all sand. On Lake Sammamish you have the State Park beach which is sand but our favorite is Idylwood Park. My kids swim in the lakes from about mid June to mid September. We also live off of Pine Lake in Sammamish and they have a great swimming area. Fun lake for kayaking and paddleboarding (as is Beaver Lake in Sammamish) as well as swimming! Water is very clean and you will find many folks swimming for tri training and just fitness.

[civic94]

I swam 3 summers ago by the little beach area thats on the bottom of madrona. you'll have a view of 520 and 90, its right in the middle, on the seattle side. it also has a diving board.

the water is cold, it will take me about a minute to fully and slowly get in. once your in its fine.

I personally wont do it again, since im a little older. the water is not that clean, and yes, when Im swimming I'm scared that a shark or some kind of fish might bite me, even though there might not be any sharks at all. its just the idea that there might be something.... your better off going to a public pool

[SitoUK]

Madison Park has a swimming beach and in summer there are always a few swimmers there. For the winter months the 24 hour fitness at Denny and Stewart seems the more pleasant solution to me :-)

[mrman78]

I just found out there is a community pool just a couple of blocks from my new apartment on QA hill, so I'll be frequenting that. I look forward to discovering swimmable places though, or just kayaking if nothing else!

[hallbabies]

Maybe it depends what you are used to, I find most every place cold. We do go to Lake Sammamish State Park, Houghton Beach, Waverly Park and Coulon and do go in, it is bearable but definitely not "warm". But then again I am used to Florida beaches. I prefer swimming pools here.

[cjg5]

One of the BEST places by far to go swimming around here on a hot summer day is Rattlesnake Lake in North Bend. It stays shallow for a long way off the shore.