Is that this swimming spot secure? Wisconsin DNR compiles listing of advisories

Reader query: Where can I discover a listing of public seashores? How can I inform if they’re secure for swimming?

Answer: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources maintains an internet Beach Closings and Advisories Map. It displays the newest seashore circumstances offered by native public well being departments.

The circumstances are up to date from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

I checked the Lake Winnebago space on July 15 and located 12 areas whose seashore standing was listed as open. Of the 12 websites, solely 4 are seashores within the conventional sense. The others are boat launches.

A day earlier, the seashore standing of the Asylum Point Park boat touchdown carried an advisory for elevated ranges of E. coli micro organism, that means swimming posed a better threat of gastrointestinal or pores and skin infections. The advisory was primarily based on a pattern taken July 7, however a pattern taken on July 13 now not exceeded the standards, and the advisory was lifted.

Open:

• High Cliff State Park seashore in Sherwood
• Fresh Air Park seashore in Neenah
• Menominee Park seashore in Oshkosh
• Lake Winneconne Park seashore in Winneconne
• Fritse Park boat touchdown in Fox Crossing
• Grundman Park boat touchdown in Vinland
• Asylum Point Park boat touchdown within the Town of Oshkosh
• Black Wolf boat touchdown in Black Wolf
• Boom Bay boat Landing in Wolf River
• Lake Poygan boat touchdown in Poygan
• Butte des Morts boat touchdown within the Town of Winneconne
• Lake Butte des Morts boat touchdown within the Town of Omro. This site, however, is closed for the rest of the 2026 season because of development.

Advisory

Watchdog Q&A: Duke Behnke solutions your questions on native authorities

The Post-Crescent printed a report in 2025 that recognized 11 lakes and ponds for swimming inside a 30-minute drive of Appleton. The listing included High Cliff State Park, Fresh Air Park, Menominee Park and Lake Winneconne Park and accounted for seven websites that are not proven on the DNR monitoring web page:

• Plamann Lake, 1375 E. Broadway Drive, Appleton
• Sunset Beach Swimming Facility, 1010 Fulcer Ave., Kimberly
• Municipal Beach, 1515 Brighton Beach Road, Menasha
• Shiocton Lake Park, N5684 Lake Park St., Shiocton
• Seymour Lake Park, 1200 Lake Road, Seymour
• Calumet County Park, N6150 County EE, Hilbert
• Marble Park Beach, 639 W. Main St., Winneconne. This beach is closed for the 2026 season because of development.

The Winnebago County Public Health Department gives the next recommendation earlier than swimming:

• Always take a look at the water round you earlier than you get in. Conditions can change rapidly, and an open seashore standing doesn’t assure water high quality.
• Avoid swimming after heavy rain as a result of micro organism ranges within the water could also be excessive.
• Avoid contact with blue-green algae blooms. They could look blue-green, inexperienced, reddish-purple or brown and trigger the water to be murky.
• Do not swim or let your pet swim if indicators say the water is closed for swimming because of blue-green algae blooms or excessive micro organism ranges.

Alternatively, Appleton, Neenah, Little Chute and Kaukauna function municipal swimming swimming pools or splash pads to beat the summer season warmth. Menasha additionally traditionally operates a municipal swimming pool, however it’s closed in 2026 and 2027 for reconstruction.

Got a query about native authorities? Contact Duke Behnke by e-mail at dbehnke@usatodayco.com or by cellphone at 920-993-7176.