Lake House Water Safety Checklist

What families need before and during a day at an unguarded lake

WaterWiseKids.com — Free water safety education for families

Run through this the moment you arrive — cabin, cottage, rental, or family lake house.

Family / group:

Dates:

Address to give 911:

Nearest hospital / ranger:

When You Arrive: Walk the Water First

Wade the swim area yourself — feel for sudden drop-offs, rocks, glass, weeds, and soft mud before any child gets in.
Note where the bottom drops off — a child can take two steps and be over their head in murky water you cannot see through.
Find the emergency address — know the exact address or location to give 911 and where the nearest help is.
Locate the shore-power shutoff — know how to cut electricity to the dock and boathouse fast.

Pick ONE designated swim zone — keep everyone in a single known area, not spread along the shore.
Mark the boundaries — use buoys or an obvious landmark so kids know exactly how far is too far.
Set a depth limit for non-swimmers — waist-deep for little ones; never past where their feet leave the bottom without a life jacket.
Keep clear of boat lanes — swimming areas and motor traffic do not mix.
Stage rescue gear at the edge — a throwable flotation device, a reaching pole or paddle, and a charged phone within arm's reach.

NEVER swim near a powered dock, boathouse, or marina — leaking current causes electric shock drowning. This is the number-one dock rule.
Have the dock wiring inspected — a qualified electrician should install and test ground-fault protection (GFCI/ELCI).
Tingle in the water = get out NOW — if a swimmer feels a tingle, get everyone out and shut off power. Do NOT jump in after them.
No diving or jumping into unknown water — enter feet-first the first time, every time; depth and debris change.
Life jackets on the dock — young and weak swimmers wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved jacket on or near the dock, not just in the water.

Assign a Water Watcher — one adult whose only job is watching the kids, no phone, no distractions. Trade off every 15-20 minutes.
Buddy system, always — no one swims alone, including strong teens and adults.
Life jackets for non- and weak swimmers — sized by weight, not age, and worn the whole time near open water.
No swimming after dark or in storms — get everyone out at the first rumble of thunder.
Count heads out loud, often — do a verbal headcount every time the group moves or someone leaves the water.

Enroll in swim lessons — a child who can roll to a back float, breathe, and orient toward shore has a real advantage in open water.
Practice floating in a life jacket — let kids feel how the jacket holds them up before the trip so it is not a surprise.
Teach "reach or throw, don't go" — kids should call an adult and hand or toss something to a struggling swimmer rather than jumping in.
Talk through a cold-water plan — if you fall in cold water, fight the urge to gasp, float on your back, and get your breathing under control first.

Layers, not guarantees — gear, supervision, and swimming ability work together. No single layer is enough on its own.
Swim lessons do not make a child drown-proof — even strong young swimmers need a life jacket and an adult watching on a lake.
Learn CPR — at a remote lake, help may be far away and minutes matter. Every supervising adult should know child and adult CPR.
Ask your pediatrician about conditions — get clearance and any special precautions before open-water trips.