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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 22, 2026 (10 hrs ago).

Clear location
  • Cold · below 60°F · 384
  • Cool · 60–69°F · 607
  • Comfortable · 70–86°F · 929
  • Warm · above 86°F · 215
  • 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. CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER AT HELEN, GAUSGS gauge · Georgia · 77 ft³/s
    71°F25 mi1 day ago
  2. CHEOAH RIVER NR BEARPEN GAP NR TAPOCO, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 120 ft³/s
    74°F27 mi11 hrs ago
  3. TALLULAH R AT TERRORA PWRHSE, NR TALLULAH FALLS,GAUSGS gauge · Georgia · 60 ft³/s
    76°F32 mi1 day ago
  4. OCONALUFTEE RIVER AT BIRDTOWN, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 377 ft³/s
    67°F39 mi11 hrs ago
  5. HIWASSEE RIVER ABOVE RELIANCEUSGS gauge · Tennessee
    64°F39 mi10 hrs ago
  6. CHATTOOGA RIVER AT BURRELLS FORD, NR PINE MTN, GAUSGS gauge · Georgia · 48 ft³/s
    72°F41 mi1 day ago
  7. LITTLE RIVER ABOVE TOWNSEND, TNUSGS gauge · Tennessee · 290 ft³/s
    68°F43 mi10 hrs ago
  8. ETOWAH RIVER AT GA 136, NEAR LANDDRUM, GAUSGS gauge · Georgia · 79 ft³/s
    77°F46 mi1 day ago

Nearest swimmable spots

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

Lake Chatuge Beach4.5(335)

Lake Chatuge Beach

Beach · Georgia
Camping nearby

Swimming & sunbathing along a sandy shoreline with a playground, picnic tables & parking.

6.9 mi from your location

Nantahala Lake4.8(79)

Nantahala Lake

Lake · North Carolina
Camping nearby

Quiet lake ringed by forested hills, with kayak & pontoon boat rentals, plus trout & bass fishing.

13 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.