Swimming conditions on Lake Ontario can be unpredictable and may have serious hazards, such as rip currents and high waves. Learn about water safety to stay safe while having fun at the beach.
Lifeguards use a flag system adopted by the International Lifesaving Federation to identify swimming conditions and designated swimming areas. Flag colours can change multiple times throughout the day. Before entering the water, check the flag colour on the back of the lifeguard stand.
Flag colour | Description |
---|---|
Green | Good conditions; little to no waves and off-shore wind. |
Yellow |
Moderate conditions; strong waves and off-shore wind, light fog. Swim with caution. |
Red |
High hazard conditions; high waves, strong currents and off-shore winds, heavy fog and unsafe beach water quality. All swimmers are discouraged from entering the water. |
No flag |
No lifeguards on duty. Swimming is not recommended. |
Red-over-yellow |
Designated swimming area. Placed on land, the space between two of these flags indicate the designated area most closely supervised by lifeguards and where swimming is allowed. |
Learn how to reduce the risks so you and/or your family can enjoy swimming.
When in doubt, talk to a lifeguard and ask them about the swimming conditions and if there are any hazards that you should be aware of.
All watercraft operators including boats, personal watercraft (PWC) and paddle crafts need to take precautions when operating near a supervised swimming beach.
Learn more about boating safety in Canada.