Spring has well and truly sprung in the Harbour City, and with the weather warming up, one of the city's favourite natural swimming spot is gearing up to reopen. From this Saturday (October 25), Lake Parramatta is reopening its swimming area for the 2025/26 season, and lifeguards will be on hand to keep your dips safe and stress-free.
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Since initially opening to swimmers in 2015, Lake Parramatta has become a beloved summer locale for Western Sydney residents, with City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Martin Zaiter describing the lake as “the City’s natural iconic swimming spot… a perfect spot for a weekend escape or a midweek recharge, right in the heart of North Parramatta.”
Over the past year, the lake has seen a $1.4 million upgrade, with a new lifeguard platform, a gently sloping sandy beach, added shade, and an outdoor shower installed to make inner-city swims more seamless. Safety has been bolstered too, with onsite emergency beacons, improved signage, and a water safety education programme ensuring your time in the water is worry-free.
According to the City of Parramatta, the upgrades aren’t just cosmetic – they’ve helped draw hundreds of new visitors to the lake each summer, and made swimming at this natural oasis a regular part of local life. For Cr Zaiter, it’s also part of a bigger vision: “Lake Parramatta is a key part of our 2050 plan to create a continuous green corridor from the Lake to Sydney Olympic Park, reflecting our bold vision to become an unrivalled River City.”
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From Saturday, October 25, weekend lifeguard patrols will run from 11am to 7pm, before ramping up to a full seven days a week from December 6 until January 28 2026. After that, it’s back to weekends only until the end of March, with another seven-day stretch over the April School Holidays. The season will wrap up on Sunday, April 26 2026 – so we’ve got plenty of time for a splash before winter sets in. Just remember: stick to the designated swimming area and swim only if you’re a competent swimmer, and only when lifeguards are on duty.
You’ll find more info about getting there, facilities and water quality over here.
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