Beach · County Galway
Loughrea Lake
Can I swim here? Outside the bathing season
The bathing season runs from 1 June to 15 September. Outside it the water is not tested weekly and lifeguards are not on duty. The last sample, on 14 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Loughrea Lake Bathing area is pleasantly situated in a shallow relatively sandy area of the lake between a man made pier on the west and a small beach on the eastern end. Surrounding the bathing area is amenity grounds composed of grassy areas, footpaths, planted trees and shrubs and flower beds. The Lake supports a variety of bird species. The lake is a designated Special Protection Area and Natural Heritage Area. Activities include swimming, sailing, windsurfing, angling and canoeing.
Excellent (2025): The highest standard: results over four years were consistently very clean.
The record, year by year
| Year | EPA classification | Samples | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | 12-6 7 days July & Aug weekend June/Sept |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Access to waters edge. |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | Yes | lifeguard huts during lifeguard season |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | Yes |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs are not allowedNo dogs allowed on designated blue flag beaches during lifeguard hours. Dogs allowed on a lead at all other times.
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-14): E. coli 97, intestinal enterococci 13 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Galway this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 15°C
Status Yellow - Rain warning for Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo
From Thu, 8 Oct, 09:00 until Fri, 9 Oct, 04:00
Heavy spells of rain.
Be aware of potential impacts:
- Difficult travelling conditions
- Localised flooding possible
Issued by Met Éireann · met.ie/warnings
- Fri, 9 Oct13° / 9°Scattered clouds
- Sat, 10 Oct13° / 7°Sun with light cloud
- Sun, 11 Oct15° / 14°Sun with light cloud
Make a day of it
The nearest trails, beaches, woods and heritage within 25 km.