If you’re planning a lake day this weekend, check the list first. Three municipally supervised beaches in HRM are currently either under a water quality advisory or closed outright, according to the municipality’s beach status page.

Oakfield Park Beach, on Shubenacadie Grand Lake in Oakfield, has been closed since July 28 after a suspected blue-green algae bloom was observed. The municipality says the beach won’t reopen until testing confirms toxin levels are back within Health Canada guidelines. Contact with blue-green algae can cause skin irritation, sore throat, and other symptoms, and residents are advised to avoid swimming, wading, or letting pets near the water.

Map location is approximate and may not reflect the exact location.

Albro Lake Beach in Dartmouth and Lake Echo Beach are both under a water quality advisory after recent E. coli samples came back above Health Canada’s guideline levels. Lifeguards remain on site at both beaches to advise against swimming while the advisory is in effect, but primary contact activities like swimming aren’t recommended.

Every other supervised beach in the municipality, including Kinap, Penhorn Lake, Chocolate Lake, and Sandy Lake, is showing a clean pass on its most recent water sample.

HRM updates beach status by 8 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends through the end of August, so conditions can change day to day.