These are the beaches closed in Mass this weekend, and why

Saturday is shaping up to be a nice day for a swim, but beach closures across Massachusetts may dampen weekend plans.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) interactive

beach water quality dashboard

, 25 beaches will be closed this weekend. Most of the beach closures are at ponds and lakes. Nearly all are due to high levels of bacteria, while some are due to harmful cyanobacteria (algae) blooms.

In accordance with state regulations, local health officials track bacteria levels at over 1,100 public and semi-public beaches throughout the state. Testing frequency ranges from daily to monthly and varies by beach, depending on its vulnerability to water quality problems.

Bacteria levels in beach water can increase for several reasons, such as rainwater washing pollution into the ocean, broken or leaking septic systems, sewer overflows, illegal sewer connections, waste from animals and pets, and runoff from farms,

according

to DPH.

“If a beach is closed, do not swim or enter the water at that location to avoid risk of illness,” officials state on the DPH website.

The dashboard is updated hourly between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day, including on weekends, throughout beach season.

The following list was updated as of 7 p.m. on Friday.

Massachusetts beach closures as of Friday, July 18, 2025

Ashby

• Damon Pond Beach (DCR)
  

Ashland

• Ashland Reservoir-Main Beach (DCR)
• Hopkinton Reservoir-Upper Beach (DCR)

Barnstable

• Keyes Beach (Sea Street)
  

Beverly

• Brackenbury
  

Boston

• Tenean (DCR)
  

Bourne

• Patuisset
  

Brewster

• Upper Mill Pond
  

Concord

• Walden Pond – Main (DCR)
  

Danvers

• Sandy Beach (Danvers)
  

Dartmouth

• Moses Smith Creek
  

Eastham

• Cook’s Brook
• S. Sunken Meadow
  

Holden

• Eagle Lake
  

Oxford

• Carbuncle Pond
  

Salem

• Children’s Island – Back
• Ocean Avenue
  

Springfield

• Camp Wilder @ Right
  

Swampscott

• Kings
  

Templeton

• Beamans Pond – Campground (DCR)
• Beamans Pond – Day Use (DCR)
  

Townsend

• Pearl Hill Pond Beach (DCR)
  

Upton

• Upton Town Beach
  

Winchendon

• Lake Dennison State Park (DCR) @ North Camp Beach
  

Winthrop

• Donovans

Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.

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