Live · updated daily from USGS
Swimmable water near you
2,137 USGS sensors are reporting a live water temperature right now, the newest reading from August 21, 2026 (10 hrs ago).
- Cold · below 60°F · 375
- Cool · 60–69°F · 595
- Comfortable · 70–86°F · 938
- Warm · above 86°F · 229
- 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.
- YADKIN RIVER AT PATTERSON, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 17 ft³/s74°F34 mi10 hrs ago
- N F HOLSTON RIVER NEAR GATE CITY, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 746 ft³/s76°F37 mi11 hrs ago
- CATAWBA R AT SR1223 BL LK JAMES NR BRIDGEWATER, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 122 ft³/s59°F42 mi10 hrs ago
- CLINCH RIVER AT CLEVELAND, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 677 ft³/s71°F43 mi10 hrs ago
- CLINCH RIVER AT ROUTE 65 AT DUNGANNON, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia73°F43 mi10 hrs ago
- CATAWBA R NR PLEASANT GARDENS, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 89 ft³/s76°F45 mi10 hrs ago
- NORTH FORK SWANNANOA RIVER NEAR WALKERTOWN, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 14 ft³/s67°F49 mi10 hrs ago
- CATAWBA RIVER AT RHODHISS, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina77°F50 mi10 hrs ago
Nearest swimmable spots
Rated, photographed water destinations within 25 miles — pair one with the nearest sensor reading above before you go.
4.8(298)Watauga Lake
Created in 1948, this reservoir in the Cherokee National Forest offers boating, fishing & more.
0.3 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.