Every Friday during swimming season, we post The Beach Report™ — our weekly report of the results of water quality testing at beaches in the greater Kawarthas region — and update it throughout the week as conditions change.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials recommend staying home if you feel sick, visiting a beach close to your home to avoid unnecessary travel, bringing hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, and maintaining at least two metres of physical distance from other beachgoers.
As of Thursday, August 19, the following beaches have been posted as unsafe for swimming:
- Beavermead (2011 Ashburnham Drive, Peterborough)
- Ennismore (1053 Ennis Road, Ennismore)
- Jones Beach (908 Jones Beach Road, Bridgenorth)
- Selwyn (2251 Birch Island Road, Selwyn)
- West Beach – Port Hope (Northumberland County)
- Harwood Waterfront & Dock – Hamilton (Northumberland County)
- Kingsford Conservation Area – Salmon River (Hastings County)
- Tweed Park – Stoco Lake (Hastings County)
Below are the complete results of water quality testing at beaches in the City and County Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, Northumberland County, and Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
In the City of Peterborough, Peterborough Public Health Inspectors sample the beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead every business day, and public beaches in the County of Peterborough are sampled at least once a week (except for Chandos Beach, Quarry Bay Beach, and White?s Beach which are sampled at least once in June, July, and August).
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit provides weekly testing results for beaches in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Northumberland County. Testing is based on the most recent test results from the provincial lab in Peterborough for water samples taken from these beaches.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health provides weekly testing results for beaches in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
Important note
The following test results may not reflect current water quality conditions. Water samples can take one to three days to process and heavy rainfall, high winds or wave activity, large numbers of waterfowl near a beach, or large numbers of swimmers can rapidly change water quality.
You should always check current conditions before deciding to use a beach. You should also monitor other factors that might suggest a beach is unsafe to use, such as floating debris, oil, discoloured water, bad odours, and excessive weed growth.
While we strive to update this story with the current conditions, you should confirm the most recent test results by visiting the local health unit websites at Peterborough Public Health, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit. and Hastings Prince Edward Public Health. As noted above, the beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead are tested every business day so the results listed below may not be current.
Peterborough City/County
City of Peterborough Beaches (sampled each business day)
Roger’s Cove (131 Maria St, Peterborough) – sample date 19 August – SAFE
Beavermead (2011 Ashburnham Drive, Peterborough) – sample date 19 August – UNSAFE
Peterborough County Beaches (sampled weekly)
Back Dam Beach (902 Rock Rd., Warsaw, Township of Douro – Dummer) – sample date 17 August – SAFE
Buckhorn (John Street, Buckhorn) – sample date 18 August – SAFE
Crowe’s Line Beach (240 Crowe’s Line Rd, Harvey) – sample date 18 August – SAFE
Curve Lake Lance Woods Park (Whetung St. E, Curve Lake) – sample date 18 August – SAFE
Curve Lake Henry’s Gumming (Chemong St. S, Curve Lake) – sample date 18 August – SAFE
Douro (205 Douro Second Line, Douro – Dummer) – sample date 17 August – SAFE
Ennismore (1053 Ennis Road, Ennismore) – sample date 19 August – UNSAFE
Hiawatha (1 Lakeshore Rd, Hiawatha) – Not Currently Open to the Public – sample date 12 August – SAFE
Jones Beach (908 Jones Beach Road, Bridgenorth) – sample date 19 August – UNSAFE
Lakefield Park (100 Hague Boulevard, Lakefield) – sample date 19 August – SAFE
Norwood (12 Belmont St, Norwood) – sample date 13 August – SAFE
Sandy Lake (1239 Lakehurst Road, Municipality of Trent Lakes) – sample date 18 August – SAFE
Selwyn (2251 Birch Island Road, Selwyn) – sample date 19 August – UNSAFE
Squirrel Creek Conservation Area (2445 Wallace Point Rd, South Monaghan) – sample date 13 August – SAFE
Warsaw Caves (289 Caves Rd, Warsaw) – sample date 17 August – SAFE
Peterborough County Beaches (sampled monthly)
Belmont Lake (376 Miles of Memories Road, Belmont) – sample date 21 July – SAFE
Chandos Beach (Hwy 620, North Kawartha) – sample date 21 July – SAFE
Kasshabog Lake (431 Peninsula Road, Methuen) – sample date 21 July – SAFE
Quarry Bay (1986 Northey’s Bay Rd, Woodview) – sample date 17 August – SAFE
White’s Beach (Clearview Drive, Galway) – sample date 18 August – SAFE
City of Kawartha Lakes
Birch Point – Fenelon Falls – sample date August 12 – SAFE
Blanchards Road Beach – Bexley – sample date August 12 – SAFE
Bond Street – Fenelon Falls – sample date August 11 – SAFE
Burnt River Beach – Somerville – sample date August 12 – SAFE
Centennial Beach – Verulam – sample date August 6 – SAFE
Centennial Park Beach – West – sample date August 12 – SAFE
Four Mile Lake Beach – sample date August 12 – SAFE
Head Lake Beach – Laxton – sample date August 12 – SAFE
Norland Bathing Area – Laxton – sample date August 12 – SAFE
Omemee Beach – Emily/ Omemee – sample date August 13 – SAFE
Riverview Beach Park – Bobycaygeon – sample date August 6 – SAFE
Sturgeon Point Beach – Fenelon Falls – sample date July 28 – SAFE
Valentia/ Sandbar Beach – Valentia – sample date August 11 – SAFE
Verulam Recreational Park – Verulam – sample date August 6 – SAFE
Beach Park – Bobycaygeon – Not currently being tested due to construction
Haliburton County
Bissett Beach – Minden Hills – sample date August 11 – SAFE
Dorset Parkette – Algonquin Highlands – sample date August 11 – SAFE
Eagle Lake Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 12 – SAFE
Elvin Johnson Park – Algonquin Highlands – sample date August 11 – SAFE
Forsters Beach – Minden Hills – sample date August 5 – SAFE
Glamour Lake Beach – Highlands East – sample date August 5 – SAFE
Gooderham Beach – Highland East – sample date August 5 – SAFE
Haliburton Lake Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 12 – SAFE
Horseshoe Beach – Minden Hills – sample date August 5 – SAFE
Paudash Lake – Highlands East – sample date August 5 – SAFE
Pine Lake Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 12 – SAFE
Rotary Head Lake Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 11 – SAFE
Rotary Park Lagoon – Minden Hills – sample date August 11 – SAFE
Rotary Park Main – Minden Hills – sample date August 11 – SAFE
Sandy Cove Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 12 – SAFE
Sandy Point Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 12 – SAFE
Slipper Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 5 – SAFE
Twelve Mile Lake Beach – Minden Hills – sample date August 11 – SAFE
Wilbermere Beach – Highlands East – sample date August 5 – SAFE
Northumberland County
Caldwell Street Beach – Port Hope – sample date August 18 – SAFE
Harwood Waterfront & Dock – Hamilton – sample date July 22 – UNSAFE
Hastings Waterfront North – Trent Hills – sample date August 18 – SAFE
Hastings Waterfront South – Trent Hills – sample date August 18 – SAFE
Little Lake – Cramahe – sample date August 11 – SAFE
East Beach – Port Hope – sample date August 18 – SAFE
West Beach – Port Hope – sample date August 18 – UNSAFE
Sandy Bay Beach – Alnwick Haldimand – sample date August 18 – SAFE
Victoria Park – Cobourg – sample date August 18 – SAFE
Wicklow Beach – Alnwick Haldimand – sample date August 18 – SAFE
Crowe Bridge Park – Trent Hills – Will not be tested as a swimming area this summer.
Hastings County and Prince Edward County
Booster Park Beach – Crowe Lake – SAFE
Centennial Park, Deseronto – Bay of Quinte – SAFE
Centennial Park, Northport – Bay of Quinte – SAFE
Diamond Lake Beach – Diamond Lake – SAFE
Echo Beach – Papineau Lake – SAFE
Fosters Lake Beach – Fosters Lake – SAFE
Frankford Park – Trent River – SAFE
Hinterland Beach – Kaminiskeg Lake – SAFE
Kingsford Conservation Area – Salmon River – UNSAFE
L’Amable Lake Dam – L’Amable Lake – SAFE
Legion Park, Marmora – Crowe River – SAFE
Moira Lake Park – Moira Lake – SAFE
Riverside Park – York River – SAFE
Roblin Lake Park – Roblin Lake – SAFE
Steenburgh Lake – SAFE
Tweed Park – Stoco Lake – UNSAFE
Wellington Beach – Wellington Bay – SAFE
Wollaston Lake Beach – Wollaston Lake – SAFE
