Loughrea Lake
Co. Galway, Galway County Council. Lake bathing water.
Icy.ie is a data aggregator, not a safety assessment.
Swim status: CAUTION
- It is dark or close to dark here (sunset 18:34, first light 07:31).
Conditions can change. Check flags and signs, never swim alone, know how to Float to Live. Float to Live | Cold water checklist
EPA alert details
Short-term pollution risk. The EPA lists this water as prone to short-term pollution, for example after heavy rain. Wait at least 48 hours after heavy rain. Icy.ie does not check rainfall.
Before you go in
- Water qualityLast sample 14 September 2026, rated Excellent.
- Water temperatureNot measured here. Lakes warm and cool differently, and most Irish water is below 15°C for much of the year. Treat it as cold water.
- LifeguardsLifeguard listed (seasonal, check hours): 12-6 7 days July & Aug weekend June/Sept.
- DaylightSunrise 08:06, sunset 18:34 today. It is dark or close to dark now.
Read before you swim: cold water safety checklist, cold water shock and Float to Live, bathing water quality, tides and currents, jellyfish and stings.
Latest water quality sample
Excellent
Sampled 14 September 2026 (34 days ago)
- E. coli
- 97 per 100 ml
- Intestinal enterococci
- 13 per 100 ml
Routine monitoring runs from 22 May to 15 September. There is no routine testing in winter, so a sample can be months old. A sample shows one moment, and conditions can change quickly after rain.
Icy.ie checked 18 Oct, 21:48. Sample date 14 September 2026. Source: EPA.
Daylight today
After sunset
- First light (civil twilight)
- 07:31
- Sunrise
- 08:06
- Sunset
- 18:34
- Last light (civil twilight)
- 19:09
Plan to be out of the water before sunset. Read dawn, dusk and night swimming safety.
Calculated by Icy.ie for this beach's position. Irish local time. No data feed is used.
Not checked by Icy.ie
These matter for your safety and are not in our data. Check them yourself before you go in.
- Beach flags. Obey lifeguard and red flags. Safety checklist
- Rip currents. Tides and currents
- Met Éireann warnings. Check current weather warnings and the marine forecast. Storms and swell
- Jellyfish and algal bloom. Marine hazards
- Storm overflow and sewage discharge. Bathing water quality
Facilities
- Blue Flag
- Yes
- Green Coast
- No
- Toilets
- Yes
- First aid
- Yeslifeguard huts during lifeguard season
- Lifebuoy
- Yes
- Lifeguard
- ListedSeasonal, check hours. 12-6 7 days July & Aug weekend June/Sept
- Parking
- Yes
- Dogs
- RestrictedNo dogs allowed on designated blue flag beaches during lifeguard hours. Dogs allowed on a lead at all other times.
- Accessible
- YesAccess to waters edge.
- Beach wheelchair
- No
Icy.ie checked 18 Oct, 21:48. EPA record last updated 5 March 2026.
Water quality class by year
| Year | Annual class |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Excellent |
| 2024 | Excellent |
| 2023 | Excellent |
| 2022 | Excellent |
Loughrea Lake is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Loughrea Lake has achieved an Excellent Water Quality rating for the four consecutive years 2022 to 2025. Annual water quality ratings are generally calculated using monitoring results over a four-year period and are assessed against stringent bacterial limits to protect bather health.
An annual class summarises four years of testing. It does not describe the water today.
Icy.ie checked 18 Oct, 21:48. EPA record last updated 5 March 2026.
About this water
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.
Profile for Loughrea Lake for 2023
Icy.ie checked 18 Oct, 21:48. EPA record last updated 5 March 2026.
Where the data comes from
Bathing water details, classifications, samples and alerts: Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence (EPA bathing water API).
Sunrise, sunset and twilight are calculated by Icy.ie from the beach position.