Bush Lake Beach

• Swimmers under 11 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
• All children 6 years and younger must be within arms reach of an adult at all times.
• All flotation equipment must be U.S. Coast Guard Type I-III approved, with an adult 18 years of age or older within arms reach at all times.
• Swim diapers required for those not independently toilet trained.
• All swimmers must wear appropriate swim attire.
• Throwing rocks or sand is prohibited.
• Fishing and dogs are not permitted in beach area.
• Tobacco, alcohol, and e-cigarettes are prohibited.
• Glass containers are not allowed.

People should exercise caution while at the beach to stay safe and help stop the spread of COVID-19. 

• Stay home if you are sick.
• Practice social distancing by maintaining 6 feet from individuals outside of your immediate family.
• Wear a face covering when you cannot maintain a proper distance.
• Avoid crowds. If the beach becomes crowded, reconsider using the facility.
• Bring your own hand sanitizer to use; restrooms will not be open to properly wash hands.

 Swimmers' health and safety are the number one priority at Bush Lake Beach. Please take a moment to read the following fact sheets to ensure a safe and healthy visit at Bush Lake Beach! 

Dry Drowning facts.

Beginning in 2021, parking passes are not required at Bush Lake Beach. 

A boat launch is available for motorized watercrafts at West Bush Lake Park using the Shelter #2 entrance. Per City Code, Sec. 5.25: "No motor exceeding six horsepower shall be operated on the public waters of the City." Watercrafts may possess larger motors, but they cannot be in operation. 

We can all do our part to continue to make Bush Lake Beach a healthy place to swim:

• Take a shower, both before and after swimming.
• Avoid drinking or “spouting” beach water.
• Wash your hands often.

For the safety of our swimmers, certified microbiologists test Bush Lake Beach water twice per week. The beach may close if the bacteria count becomes too high.

Nine private properties are located on the shores of Bush Lake and its northeast bay. As such, it is not possible to walk all the way around these bodies of water without trespassing on private property. When enjoying Bush Lake Park, take note of where private properties are located, and please do not enter or cross these properties.

The City performs water quality monitoring at Bush Lake Beach throughout the summer season. The Environmental Health Division collects beach water samples twice weekly at three locations to monitor the E. coli bacteria levels as an indicator of water quality. 

These tests are necessary to ensure the safety of swimmers at Bush Lake Beach. Action thresholds for closure are:

• 890 MPN/100ml in a single-sample
• 126 MPN/100ml for a 30-day geometric mean.
  • NOTE: 890 MPN/100ml has been calculated specifically for Bush Lake Beach based on sample data collected since 2003. EPA’s guidance is 235 CFU/100ml when not using historical data specific to the beach.  

2024 Water Quality Reports 

General Information About Beach Monitoring

The quality of beach water is determined from collecting and analyzing beach water samples. Monitoring authorities test water samples for indicator organisms, like fecal coliform and E. coli, in the laboratory because it is impractical and expensive to test for specific germs. Fecal coliform and E. coli are found in the gut of warm-blooded animals (humans, livestock, birds, pets, etc.) and are excreted in feces. Fecal coliforms and most E. coli strains will not cause illness, but their presence indicates that germs that can cause illness may also be in the water.  
Source MN Dept of Health