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WILD SWIMMING
Swimming in the Lake District
Swimming in tarns, lakes and rivers is great fun, and a wonderful way to experience the Lake District landscape. Below you can discover where you can swim in our lakes and be inspired by nearby swimming groups, sessions and events. Plus, information about swimming safely including the swim safe code and some useful videos.
Where can I swim?
You can swim in most of the lakes, tarns and rivers in the Lake District. Some lakes are busier than others, here's our guide to where to have an enjoyable and safe dip.
Quieter lakes best for swimming
These lakes have no motorboats, but may have rowing boats, canoes and kayaks:
Bassenthwaite (some motorboats, no diving)
Buttermere
Crummock Water
Grasmere
Loweswater
Rydal Water
Wast Water
There are lots of quiet tarns and rivers too, which can be great places for a dip. Just beware that tarns are generally cooler than lakes, and can be very cold even on a hot summer's day!
Bassenthwaite
Scoat Tarn
Sitting below Scoat Fell and Red Pike, is the glacial bowl of Scout Tarn. Ennerdale Water sits to the north west, and Wast Water to the south. The tarn itself, is approximately 350m at its longest point and 180m at its widest. It has a reported depth of 20m or 65 ½ ft.
Ennerdale fishing
Buttermere
Laying underneath Haystacks mountain and to the southeast of Crummock rests the crystal clear lake of Buttemere. Set in beautiful surroundings, this is the most photographed lake in Lakeland.
Loweswater
Wastwater lake
Wastwater is the deepest lake not only in the Lake District but also in the whole of England with its bottom depth of two hundred and fifty eight feet