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The Water Around Us
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Live · updated daily from USGS

Swimmable water near you

1,325 USGS sensors are reporting a live water temperature right now, the newest reading from August 23, 2026 (1 hr ago).

Clear location
  • Cold · below 60°F · 218
  • Cool · 60–69°F · 484
  • Comfortable · 70–86°F · 545
  • Warm · above 86°F · 78
  • 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. CATAWBA RIVER BL LOOKOUT SHOALS DAM NR SHARON, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina
    82°F14 mi1 hr ago
  2. CATAWBA RIVER AT NC HIGHWAY 16 NR MILLERSVILLE, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 151 ft³/s
    82°F20 mi1 hr ago
  3. CATAWBA R AT RR BRIDGE AB NC 73 AT COWANS FORD, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina
    85°F23 mi1 hr ago
  4. CATAWBA RIVER DNSTRM DECK MTN IS DAM NR MTN IS, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina
    87°F29 mi1 hr ago
  5. CATAWBA RIVER AT RHODHISS, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina
    76°F33 mi2 hrs ago
  6. YADKIN RIVER AT PATTERSON, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 23 ft³/s
    71°F44 mi1 hr ago
  7. CATAWBA RIVER BL LAKE WYLIE DAM FEWELL ISLAND, SCUSGS gauge · South Carolina · 941 ft³/s
    84°F51 mi1 hr ago
  8. CATAWBA R AT SR1223 BL LK JAMES NR BRIDGEWATER, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 122 ft³/s
    57°F56 mi1 hr ago

Nearest swimmable spots

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

Lake Norman State Park4.7(3,882)

Lake Norman State Park

State park · Troutman, North Carolina
Camping nearby

State park next to NC's largest man-made lake, with fishing, boating, camping, hiking & more.

7.8 mi from your location

Lake Norman4.6(648)

Lake Norman

Lake · North Carolina

State's largest man-made lake & home to a diverse fish population, with a visitor center & marina.

17 mi from your location

Ramsey Creek Park4.4(2,465)

Ramsey Creek Park

Park · Cornelius, North Carolina

Lakefront park for boating, fishing & picnicking, plus sand volleyball, horseshoes & a playground.

19 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.