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The Water Around Us
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Live · updated daily from USGS

Swimmable water near you

2,141 USGS sensors are reporting a live water temperature right now, the newest reading from August 22, 2026 (2 hrs ago).

Clear location
  • Cold · below 60°F · 385
  • Cool · 60–69°F · 607
  • Comfortable · 70–86°F · 934
  • 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. CATAWBA R NR PLEASANT GARDENS, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 761 ft³/s
    70°F20 mi3 hrs ago
  2. NORTH FORK SWANNANOA RIVER NEAR WALKERTOWN, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 16 ft³/s
    66°F21 mi3 hrs ago
  3. CATAWBA R AT SR1223 BL LK JAMES NR BRIDGEWATER, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 122 ft³/s
    57°F25 mi3 hrs ago
  4. FRENCH BROAD RIVER AT ASHEVILLE, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 2,230 ft³/s
    74°F33 mi3 hrs ago
  5. FRENCH BROAD RIVER AT HAYWOOD RD AT ASHEVILLE, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina
    74°F33 mi3 hrs ago
  6. YADKIN RIVER AT PATTERSON, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 32 ft³/s
    71°F35 mi4 hrs ago
  7. HOMINY CREEK NR WEST ASHEVILLE, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 142 ft³/s
    73°F36 mi3 hrs ago
  8. FRENCH BROAD RIVER NEAR FLETCHER, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 1,620 ft³/s
    73°F42 mi3 hrs ago

Nearest swimmable spots

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

Lake James State Park4.7(2,890)

Lake James State Park

State park · Nebo, North Carolina
Camping nearby

Large, lakefront park with swimming, camping, fishing & boating amid Appalachian Mountain views.

23 mi from your location

Lake James4.6(101)

Lake James

Reservoir · North Carolina
Camping nearby

25 miles of trails surround this scenic, 6,812-acre lake for kayaking, boating, fishing & swimming.

23 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.