East Lake Beach, known locally as Gin Beach, is Montauk’s calm-water option. It sits on the east shore of Lake Montauk, a tidal bay, so there is no surf to speak of. Guards work 10am to 5pm, an hour later than at the Town’s ocean beaches, and there are accessible restrooms, a food truck and a surf wheelchair when the guards are on.
On a windy ocean day the lake stays far gentler than Kirk Park or Ditch Plains, which makes this the beach for small children. The calm-water guide compares it with the other bay beaches on the fork. It is a working harbor, with boat traffic and a shoreline that changes with the tide, so keep children inside the marked swim area and rinse off afterward.
The beach looks west across the lake, so in the warm months the sun sets over the water. That makes it one of the better Montauk spots to stay late, and the sunset guide ranks it with the others. Vehicle areas need a Town drive-on pass, and parking follows the Town permit rules explained on Hamptons Beach Pass.
To tie it into a full day, use the Montauk beach-day itinerary.
