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Live · updated daily from USGS

Swimmable water near you

2,135 USGS sensors are reporting a live water temperature right now, the newest reading from August 21, 2026 (18 hrs ago).

Clear location
  • Cold · below 60°F · 375
  • Cool · 60–69°F · 594
  • Comfortable · 70–86°F · 938
  • Warm · above 86°F · 228
  • 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.

  1. BROAD RIVER NEAR COLUMBIA, SCUSGS gauge · South Carolina · 1,660 ft³/s
    90°F7.8 mi18 hrs ago
  2. SALUDA RIVER NEAR COLUMBIA, SCUSGS gauge · South Carolina · 789 ft³/s
    63°F9.3 mi19 hrs ago
  3. SALUDA RIVER BELOW LK MURRAY DAM NR COLUMBIA, SCUSGS gauge · South Carolina · 801 ft³/s
    57°F15 mi18 hrs ago
  4. WATEREE RIVER NR. CAMDEN, SCUSGS gauge · South Carolina · 1,750 ft³/s
    85°F20 mi19 hrs ago
  5. LAKE WATEREE TAILRACE ABOVE CAMDEN, SCUSGS gauge · South Carolina · 3,830 ft³/s
    86°F23 mi18 hrs ago
  6. BROAD RIVER NEAR JENKINSVILLE, SCUSGS gauge · South Carolina
    88°F26 mi19 hrs ago
  7. CEDAR CREEK RES TAILRACE BELOW GREAT FALLS, SCUSGS gauge · South Carolina
    88°F33 mi19 hrs ago
  8. GREAT FALLS RESERVOIR TAILRACE BL GREAT FALLS, SCUSGS gauge · South Carolina
    89°F34 mi19 hrs ago

Nearest swimmable spots

Rated, photographed water destinations within 25 miles — pair one with the nearest sensor reading above before you go.

Columbia Canal and Riverfront Park4.7(3,007)

Columbia Canal and Riverfront Park

Park · Columbia, South Carolina

Old pump houses shed light on the canal works amid natural hiking & biking trails & picnic tables.

7.8 mi from your location

West Columbia Riverwalk Park and Amphitheater4.7(2,943)

West Columbia Riverwalk Park and Amphitheater

Nature preserve · West Columbia, South Carolina

This park on the Congaree River features an amphitheater & connects with the Three Rivers Greenway.

8.3 mi from your location

Lake Murray4.7(535)

Lake Murray

Lake · South Carolina

Large man-made lake offering striped bass fishing, public boat ramps & marinas & a bird sanctuary.

16 mi from your location

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.