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The Water Around Us
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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 (14 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. YADKIN RIVER AT PATTERSON, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 17 ft³/s
    74°F11 mi14 hrs ago
  2. CATAWBA R AT SR1223 BL LK JAMES NR BRIDGEWATER, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 122 ft³/s
    59°F25 mi14 hrs ago
  3. CATAWBA RIVER AT RHODHISS, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina
    77°F27 mi14 hrs ago
  4. CATAWBA R NR PLEASANT GARDENS, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 89 ft³/s
    76°F34 mi14 hrs ago
  5. CATAWBA RIVER AT NC HIGHWAY 16 NR MILLERSVILLE, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 146 ft³/s
    84°F34 mi14 hrs ago
  6. CATAWBA RIVER BL LOOKOUT SHOALS DAM NR SHARON, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina
    83°F42 mi14 hrs ago
  7. NORTH FORK SWANNANOA RIVER NEAR WALKERTOWN, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 14 ft³/s
    67°F45 mi14 hrs ago
  8. FRENCH BROAD RIVER AT ASHEVILLE, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 887 ft³/s
    77°F59 mi14 hrs ago

Nearest swimmable spots

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

Watauga Lake4.8(298)

Watauga Lake

Lake · Tennessee

Created in 1948, this reservoir in the Cherokee National Forest offers boating, fishing & more.

23 mi from your location

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.

25 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.