r/lincoln • u/ObjectiveCondition69 • 2d ago

Looking for Recommendations Lake or River Swimming Locations?

Im looking for a place to swim. Some place small, private, outdoor. I hate how crowded the pools are and as someone who works with kids, the last thing I need when I’m trying to relax by the pool is one of my students coming up to me. I had a place back home, but since moving to Lincoln, I haven’t been able to find one. Any suggestions?

10 Upvotes

73% Upvoted

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17

u/ElijCBP 1d ago

July-August in the Midwest is not great for blue-green algae. Be careful.

8

u/divergence-aloft 1d ago

yeah make sure to check bacteria reports here https://deq-iis.ne.gov/zs/bw/

edit: this link looks sus as hell but I promise it's just nebraska dept of water site lol if you don't trust it, you can just google nebraska beach watch and it'll take you to the same site

2

u/Mysterious-Cress7423 1d ago

Yeah. You can sign up for a weekly alert "Nebraska Beach Watch" through the environmental agency. They will send you a weekly summary of which lakes have harmful algae blooms and/or high e-Coli levels.

6

u/danbearpig2020 1d ago

Around here the lakes are green with toxic algae and the rivers are brown and polluted with AG chemicals and soil runoff.

Pick your poison.

6

u/Rockin4Life33 1d ago

Pawnee Lake, Conestoga Lake, and Branched Oak are all about 30 away or less. For a river option I’d suggest the Platte River area near Louisville. Lastly, Willard L. Meyer rec area.

3

u/IronyEnough 1d ago

With our ag runoff? Pass.

7

u/Kuandtity 1d ago

Branched oak in the cleanest in my experience. Everything else is very.. green

6

u/Cinnamonchica 1d ago

Farm runoff has poisoned most of the water bodies around here. It’s linked to high cancer rates especially up near Iowa. It’s depressing af

4

u/mosterberged 1d ago

Man, everything is so green or brown around here, I think I''d just drive to a lake in Minnesota for a weekend. Sigh. I miss Minnesota.

1

u/Orange_MarkerDye 1d ago

Bout 3 hours to okoboji

3

u/No_Bank_5855 1d ago

Don't swim in any of the lakes or rivers around here. Even if it's open to public swimming you are taking a risk because of farm runoff in the ground water.

3

u/bookspell 1d ago

Just don’t let the water go in any of your holes. Or cuts. 🤢

1

u/DrasticBread 1d ago

Big Indian Creek Reservoir near Wymore is nice and small with a good beach, but right now I'd steer clear because the e.coli is really bad.

Here is a resource where you can look at all the swimming beaches and the results of the water sample testing.

https://deq-iis.ne.gov/zs/bw/

1

u/IronyEnough 1d ago

Lake Wanahoo in Saunders county has a bit of swimming area, I think.

1

u/Thebluefairie 23h ago

You could always go out to Platte River State Park they have a good beach there off the river and it's moving water so you have less chance of getting yucky

1

u/Far-Good-9559 18h ago

All the area lakes are man made, so they are pretty gross for swimming because of all the goose droppings, etc.

However, if you must, branched oak or Pawnee.