Avoid these Milwaukee beaches if you're going swimming this weekend

Claire Reid, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Updated ·2 min read
The South Shore Park beach is frequently closed in summer months due to E. coli contamination.

A visit to one of the Milwaukee area's many beaches is a great way to cool off.

Most beaches in Milwaukee, Waukesha and Ozaukee counties are open, although one is closed and two are under advisory due to elevated bacteria levels.

Beaches deemed unsafe can be closed or under advisory by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The DNR maintains an interactive map of most beaches in the state that includes information on whether they are open or closed. The map is regularly updated based on reports from local health departments.

Beach waters are regularly sampled and monitored for E. coli bacteria and other toxins so that advisories can be issued for beaches with high levels of bacteria. According to the City of Milwaukee Health Department, exposure to bodies of water containing elevated levels of E. coli can cause upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, headache and fever, as well as eye, ear and throat infections. More serious illness can also occur.

Which Milwaukee-area beaches are currently closed?

  • McKinley Beach, Milwaukee

    • Reason for closure: McKinley Beach remains closed due to dangerous currents and riptide hazard.

Which Milwaukee-area beaches are currently under advisory?

Two Milwaukee County beaches are currently categorized as "under advisory" by the DNR due to elevated E. coli bacteria levels. Beaches under advisory are not recommend for swimming.

These beaches are:

  • South Shore Beach, Milwaukee

    • Date of advisory: July 18

  • Watercraft Beach, Milwaukee

    • Date of advisory: July 13

Which Milwaukee-area beaches are open?

According to the most recent information available, these beaches are open:

Milwaukee County

  • Atwater Park Beach, Shorewood

  • Bay View Park Beach, St. Francis

  • Bender Beach, Oak Creek

  • Big Bay Park Beach, Whitefish Bay

  • Bradford Beach, Milwaukee

  • Grant Park Beach, South Milwaukee

  • Klode Park Beach, Whitefish Bay

  • Lakeshore State Park Beach, Milwaukee

  • Sheridan Park Beach, Cudahy

  • South Shore Rocky Beach, Milwaukee

  • Tietjen Beach / Doctor's Park, Bayside

Ozaukee County

  • Concordia University, Mequon

  • Harrington State Park Beach North, Belgium

  • Harrington State Park Beach South, Belgium

  • Jay Road Beach, Belgium

  • Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve, Grafton

  • Pebble Road Beach, Cedar Grove

  • Sandy Beach Road Beach, Belgium

  • Silver Road Beach, Belgium

  • South Beach, Port Washington

  • Upper Lake Park Beach, Port Washington

  • Virmond County Park, Mequon

Waukesha County

  • Fox Brook Park, Brookfield

  • Menomonee Park, Menomonee Falls

  • Minooka Park, Waukesha

  • Mukwonago Park, Mukwonago

  • Muskego Park, Muskego

  • Naga-Waukee Park, Hartland

Which Milwaukee-area beaches have improved in status recently?

Two Milwaukee-area beaches that are open as of July 11 were recently under advisory due to elevated E. coli bacteria levels. However, water at the beaches has since been re-tested and deemed safe for swimming as the E. coli levels have returned to the acceptable range. These beaches are:

  • Atwater Park Beach, Shorewood

  • Tietjen Beach / Doctor's Park, Bayside

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: McKinley Beach closed in Milwaukee; Lake Michigan water quality 2023