Deam Lake Beach is the only swimming area on Deam Lake, the 194-acre reservoir at the center of Deam Lake State Recreation Area in Clark County, Indiana. The 1,300-acre property is run by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and sits inside the hills of Clark State Forest, about 5 miles east of Borden. The lake was finished in 1965 by damming Big Run, a feeder of the Muddy Fork, and takes its name from Charles Deam, the state's first forester. The sand beach and its roped swim area sit on the south shore, just south of the boat ramp and a short walk from the dam.

From I-65, take exit 7 and follow IN-60 west toward Salem for roughly 8.6 miles, then turn right on Deam Lake Road. The gatehouse is about a mile in, and the road continues past the property office to paved lots above the beach house. Coming from Borden, it is the same turn off IN-60, heading east. The address used for navigation is 1217 Deam Lake Road, Borden, IN 47106, and the office phone is 812-246-5421.

Swimming is allowed only inside the roped-off area in front of the beach, and DNR rules prohibit it anywhere else on the lake. No lifeguards are posted, so everyone swims at their own risk. The beach is open from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The beach house has restrooms, changing rooms and showers all week, and a concession sells food Friday through Sunday and rents rowboats and kayaks for $10 an hour or $30 a day. A ramp brings wheelchairs down to the sand. Pets are not allowed on the beach. DNR does not publish depth or water temperature figures for the swim area, and because only electric trolling motors and paddle craft are allowed on the lake, there is no powerboat wake.

The beach is not free. Entry to the recreation area costs $7 per vehicle with Indiana plates and $15 per vehicle with out-of-state plates, every day including holidays, and visitors who walk, bike or ride in pay $2 per person age 5 and up. Indiana's $50 resident and $120 nonresident annual entrance passes cover the gate. No separate beach charge is listed. Clark-Floyd County tourism lists property hours as 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Check conditions before a trip. DNR has posted a yellow blue-green algae advisory for Deam Lake Beach: swimming is still permitted, but avoid visible algae, don't swallow lake water, shower afterward, and keep dogs out of water where algae is present. Drownings here have involved people swimming outside the marked area. In July 2020 a 32-year-old Louisville man died after going past the designated area without a life jacket. Stay inside the ropes and keep close watch on children. A shower building in the family campground is closed for foundation repairs, which does not affect the beach.

The rest of the property keeps people around after a swim. There are 113 electric sites in the family campground, a separate horse campground, and 19 rent-a-camp cabins open April through October. Four hiking trails include the 6-mile Deam Lake Loop around the shoreline and the rugged Lake Vista Trail to a rock outcrop above the water. The southern end of the Knobstone Trail, Indiana's longest footpath, starts inside the property. You'll also find five miles of mountain bike trail, five picnic shelters, a Forest Education Center, and fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill, redear, crappie and channel catfish with an Indiana license.