A most charming dining spot, the Old Angler's Inn has been immortalized in countless Washington D.C. novels as a romantic winter getaway, sitting before the fireplace and perusing the menu. It is equally glorious in the summer when the main action moves to the incomparable terrace. With fountains and waterfalls during the spring and summer and fire pits and heaters throughout in the winter, here you can watch the launch of kayaks, canoes, and SUPs for those drawn to the water to recreate. The Old Angler's Inn sits just across the road from the C&O Canal.

**WARNING: SWIMMING IS PROHIBITED IN D.C. WATERS REGARDLESS OF THE CURRENT STATUS**

Despite its designation as a Class A Primary Contact waterway, the DC Department of Health (DOH) bans swimming in the Potomac River citing the risk of high bacteria levels after rainstorms as the only reason it is considered “unsafe” to swim. The activation of the Clean Rivers Project in DC is expected to reduce system wide combined sewage overflow by 96%, bringing the Potomac significantly closer to a swimmable river.

Water quality standards as well as the methods used to determine pass or fail status vary widely across jurisdictions and monitoring programs. We encourage users to explore the sample data in addition to checking the swim guide status. These data can be viewed through the Chesapeake Monitoring Collaborative Data Explorer, https://cmc.vims.edu/#/home

The description above was copied from or heavily based on Swim Guide, with permission.

More Information

• Swim Guide - Weather and water quality for Old Angler's Inn and 8,000 other beaches.