Pegasus Beach is a newer suburban community slightly north of Christchurch, and here you'll find an eighteen-hole golf course beside the placid water of Pegasus Lake. The lake is a popular spot for recreational boating or dipping in for a swim on a hot day. There are tiny crests of sandy beach circling the lake, and swimming quality samples are sourced at the Motu Quay boat jetty. All manner of parking and amenities are easy to find close by to the lakefront.

Pegasus Lake is a man-made lake located in the Pegasus Township in North Canterbury.

This lake is prone to blooms of potentially toxic cyanobacteria ('blue-green algae') in the summer months (November to April) in particular.

While recreational water quality monitoring usually shows very low numbers of E.coli in summer (i.e. 'excellent' long-term status), the presence of potentially toxic cyanobacteria ('blue-green algae') can make the lake unsuitable for swimming.

If warnings signs are present at the lake, a warning is indicated on LAWA, scums of algae are visible at the water surface, or the water is cloudy or discoloured, people and animals should avoid all contact with the water and algal material.

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

More Information

• Swim Guide - Weather and water quality for Pegasus Lake at Moto Quay and 8,000 other beaches.