Water Activities in the Lake District
If you’re planning a watersports holiday in the Lake District, it won’t surprise you to hear that you’ve made a fabulous choice. With 16 major lakes, numerous rivers, beautiful natural landscapes and a wide variety of aquatic experiences available for every level of ability, the only question is where would you like to start?
Our guide to Lake District watersports takes in everything from kayaking and paddleboarding to rowing boats and sailing dinghies, with plenty of information on where to hire equipment, how to book tuition for beginners and the best places to start your adventure.
Popular water activities in the Lake District
Kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding
Paddle sports are an easy and accessible way to get out on the water and, whether you’re a curious beginner or an experienced paddler with all your own gear, there are no end of places in the Lake District to choose from. Kayaks (which you usually sit on top of) are the easiest to learn, traditional Canadian canoes (which you sit or kneel inside) require a little more practice, and paddleboards (SUPs), which you can kneel or stand on, are rapidly growing in popularity.
Coniston, Derwentwater, Ullswater and Windermere all have watersports centres (see below) that offer both rental and tuition, and several places where the craft are available to rent.
They’re all great options for anything from an hour to a day, with islands, beaches and calm stretches of open water to paddle around, and you can always hop off to explore historic landmarks and beauty spots onshore too. On a calm day there’s nothing better, but always be aware that weather and conditions can change quickly. Make sure you wear a buoyancy aid, and always paddle with a friend – it’s more fun that way anyway.
Sailing and boating
Immortalised in Arthur Ransome’s ever-popular novel of childhood adventure Swallows and Amazons, sailing is, understandably, one of the most popular activities in the Lake District. If you’re already an experienced sailor, there are plenty of places where you can rent a dinghy to explore, particularly on Windermere, England’s largest lake.
If you’d like to learn, many local sailing clubs offer taster sessions and multi-day courses for everyone from beginners and families to those looking to improve their skills. Just some of those to try include Windermere Outdoor Adventure Centre, Low Wood Bay Watersports and Bowness Bay Marina (Windermere), Glenridding Sailing Centre and Ullswater Yacht Club (Ullswater), Derwent Water Marina and Nichol End Marine (Derwentwater), Coniston Boating Centre (Coniston Water) and Bassenthwaite Sailing Club (Bassenthwaite Lake).
If you prefer something a little more gentle, many of these also offer motor boat and rowing boat rental and skippered boat trips. The national park website has a page that details all the boating options on Windermere, with handy links to those on several other lakes too:
To get you sailors started, here’s a list of sailing centres in the Lake District National Park, courtesy of Google Maps.
Whitewater rafting
If you’re looking for an exciting day out, whitewater rafting fits the bill. Although the park is better known for its lake-bound activities, there are also several locations here where you can experience the thrill of plunging down the rapids on a river. The Rothay, Esk, Glaramara and Derwent rivers, among others, are all suitable for rafting when the conditions are right.
Lake District White Water Rafting are the experts on the best local conditions and sites, and generally offer trips (for age 8+) with qualified guides between August and April in the South Lakes and the North Lakes. No experience is necessary, and wetsuits, buoyancy aids and helmets are provided. If you can swim and you’re not afraid to get wet, you’re all set.
You can find full details of all the trips they offer on their website, and if you’d like an idea of what you’re letting yourself in for, check out their video on YouTube.
Wild swimming
Wild swimming is one of our favourite activities, not least because you need very little equipment and can do it almost anywhere, provided you bear a few simple safety tips in mind. Nothing beats the exhilaration of your first immersion in the water, and there couldn’t be a better place to take a dip than the Lakes, where you’ll be surrounded by natural beauty and make a real connection with the environment.
The national park’s website has a comprehensive guide to swimming in the Lake District, with information on the best places to swim, including popular sites like Rydal Water and Buttermere where there are no motor boats, local swimming groups, and safety tips. Always bear the following in mind:
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Understand the local conditions – the water can be cold! Consider wearing a wetsuit and talk to local swimmers about the conditions if you can
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Enter the water slowly to get used to it, don’t stay in too long, and have warm clothing and a hot drink for when you get out
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Always swim with a friend
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Wear a bright swimming cap and consider towing a float to make you more visible
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Be mindful of other water users (particularly boats)
The Wild Swimming website has suggestions for more than 20 of the best places for wild swimming in the Lake District.
Fishing
If you love fishing, you’ll love the Lake District. From tumbling rivers that are home to brown trout, salmon and sea trout to coarse fishing for carp, bream, perch and pike on the lakes, you’re spoilt for choice. You can fish for free in Windermere, Ullswater and Coniston Water, while many other sites managed by local angling associations offer day permits to visitors.
The national park’s fishing page has all the information you need to get started, and there are more tips in Rigged and Ready’s guide to the best local spots where it’s free to fish.
Tip: The national park’s website has thoughtfully provided a page where you can find out which activities are permissible on which lakes and whether there are any special conditions, as well as a handy summary on a downloadable PDF file.
Top locations for water activities
Windermere
At 10.5 miles long, Windermere is England’s largest lake, and is the go-to destination for most visitors when it comes to getting out on the water. You’re spoilt for choice here, with the opportunity to hire kayaks, rowing boats, motor boats and paddleboards. Swimming and fishing are both deservedly popular, and it’s the perfect place to learn to sail. If you prefer to sit back and take it all in, you can enjoy a relaxing sailing trip with a skipper, or book a cruise on modern launches and traditional steamers from Ambleside, Brockhole, Bowness and Lakeside.
And, of course, while you do any of these you’ll be immersed in some of the Lake District’s most beautiful landscapes, with great views of the Langdale Pikes and Coniston Fells, plus woodland and forests on the western shore and historic landmarks like Wray Castle and Storrs Hall. If you’re lucky, you’ll also be able to spot ospreys, swans and herons, among others.
Derwentwater
Close to Keswick, Derwentwater is quieter than some of the more commercialised lakes, and renowned for reflections of the surrounding mountains and fells, including Skiddaw, Friar's Crag and Catbells. You can still swim, fish (with a permit), rent watersports craft from several different suppliers, hire boats or take a cruise, but overall, you’ll enjoy a more tranquil experience here. It’s also a lovely place to walk, and you can explore the shores of the lake, much of which is National Trust land, on this beautiful 10-mile circular walk.
Ullswater
The inspiration for Wordsworth’s famous poem 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud', tranquil Ullswater is framed by mountains to the south and gentle hills to the north, with great views of Helvellyn, one of the Lake District’s highest peaks. You can drink in this natural beauty on a kayak tour, from the deck of a hired motor boat, or on a cruise with Ullswater Steamers. It’s also particularly popular for windsurfing and sailing; if you’d like to learn any of these, you can take your pick from the Glenridding Sailing Centre, Ullswater Yacht Club and Ullswater Sailing School. The lake is also renowned for trout fishing and – last but not least – it’s one of the most popular places in the Lake District for open water swimming.
Bassenthwaite Lake
If you’re looking for a quieter option for your watersports activities, head to Bassenthwaite. The National Nature Reserve is notable for its wildlife, including the many ospreys that flock here to feed in summer, and there’s a wetland nature reserve at the north end. It’s still possible to get out on the water, although motorised craft aren’t allowed and there are some no-boating zones to protect the local wildlife. There are no rental facilities so you’ll need your own craft. If the idea of a bit of exclusivity appeals to you, permits for non-motorised craft (and for fishing) are available online from the national park website, or at the Keswick Information Centre.
Water activity centres and rentals
Windermere Outdoor Adventure Centre
On Lake Windermere’s eastern shore, with a car park and changing rooms on site, the Windermere Outdoor Adventure Centre is open seven days a week from 10am to 4pm. Single and double kayaks and paddleboards are available to rent by the hour (buoyancy aids and a brief induction session with local information included), while sailors with appropriate experience can also rent dinghies (book in advance). Wetsuits are available for a small fee.
Alongside the rental facilities, they also offer tuition, tours and introductory courses, including half- and full-day sailing courses, and week-long multi-sport activities for children during school holidays.
Derwent Water Marina
Just outside Keswick, well-equipped Derwent Water Marina is open in summer (April to October) from 9am to 5.30pm, with on-site facilities including free car parking and a shop selling clothing and equipment.
If you want to get out on the water, single, double and triple kayaks, paddleboards and canoes can be hired by the hour or full day, with buoyancy aids included (book in advance). Dinghies are not available to hire, but the centre does offer two- or five-day sailing courses for everyone from beginners to advanced sailors. Take your pick from a variety of two-hour taster sessions and courses, and opportunities for group activities and tuition. If you prefer something a little gentler, you can also rent pedalos and rowing boats.
Glenridding Sailing Centre
Based at Ullswater, Glenridding Sailing Centre is open from 10am to 5pm Thursday to Monday (from mid-March), and seven days a week in July and August. Specialists in sailing, they offer a variety of courses and taster sessions (book in advance) for everyone from beginners to experienced sailors, in a choice of dinghies and traditional gaff-rigged sailing boats, as well as multi-activity weeks for children.
If you prefer to paddle, you can also hire single and double kayaks or Canadian canoes (buoyancy aids included) by the hour or full day. Full details are available on their website.
Coniston Boating Centre
Set on the shore of Coniston Water, with a café and (paid) parking on site, the Coniston Boating Centre is open from 10am to 4pm (usually April to October). They rent out single and double kayaks, paddleboards (including a giant one for five people) and Canadian canoes (experience is required for these) – all great options for exploring the lake. Electric motor boats and rowing boats are available to rent for an hour at a time, and they recommend booking online, in advance.
If you have reluctant paddlers with you, you can also hire e-bikes to follow the action from the safety of dry land. Full details of all hire conditions and prices are available on their website.
Whether you love paddling, fishing, swimming or sailing, there’s a place in the Lake District for you. Combining outstanding natural beauty with excellent opportunities for aquatic exploration, the region was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2017, and there couldn’t be a better place to take to the water.
If you’d like to camp out on your Lake District trip, check out Pitchup’s collection of the best campsites in the Lake District National Park.