Live · updated daily from USGS
Swimmable water near you
1,323 USGS sensors are reporting a live water temperature right now, the newest reading from August 23, 2026 (11 hrs ago).
- Cold · below 60°F · 218
- Cool · 60–69°F · 484
- Comfortable · 70–86°F · 544
- Warm · above 86°F · 77
- You
A map of the United States with one coloured dot per USGS sensor reporting a live water temperature. The readings are listed below.
Nearest live readings
The closest USGS sensors currently reporting a water temperature, nearest first.
- RUSSELL LAKE ABOVE CALHOUN FALLS, SCUSGS gauge · South Carolina87°F170 mi12 hrs ago
- HIWASSEE RIVER ABOVE RELIANCEUSGS gauge · Tennessee64°F172 mi12 hrs ago
- THURMOND LAKE NEAR PLUM BRANCH, SCUSGS gauge · South Carolina88°F175 mi12 hrs ago
- ELK RIVER ABOVE FAYETTEVILLE, TNUSGS gauge · Tennessee · 258 ft³/s76°F185 mi12 hrs ago
- 86°F186 mi12 hrs ago
- CHEOAH RIVER NR BEARPEN GAP NR TAPOCO, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 115 ft³/s75°F198 mi12 hrs ago
- SALUDA RIVER NEAR WILLIAMSTON, SCUSGS gauge · South Carolina · 315 ft³/s82°F199 mi12 hrs ago
- EASTATOEE CRK ON CLEO CHAPMAN HWY NEAR SUNSET, SCUSGS gauge · South Carolina · 18 ft³/s71°F202 mi12 hrs ago
Nearest swimmable spots
Rated, photographed water destinations within 25 miles — pair one with the nearest sensor reading above before you go.
About this map
Every pin is a live reading from a USGS real-time monitoring station, captured in a daily snapshot. Colours follow the site’s cold-water-safety thresholds and describe the water at that one sensor — usually a river or stream gauge, not a swim beach — so treat them as a guide to what the water is doing nearby, not a verdict on a specific spot. Readings are provisional and can be revised by the USGS. Your location only sorts this page: the coordinates appear in the address bar (rounded to about a mile) and are not saved to an account or our database.
Conditions are for general information only and can change quickly. Always judge the water in person and follow posted advisories and local guidance before swimming or paddling.