Skip to content
The Water Around Us
Sign In

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 (9 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. CLINCH RIVER AT CLEVELAND, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 1,040 ft³/s
    70°F35 mi9 hrs ago
  2. YADKIN RIVER AT PATTERSON, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 32 ft³/s
    71°F39 mi10 hrs ago
  3. CLINCH RIVER AT ROUTE 65 AT DUNGANNON, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia
    72°F42 mi9 hrs ago
  4. N F HOLSTON RIVER NEAR GATE CITY, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 989 ft³/s
    75°F42 mi10 hrs ago
  5. CATAWBA R AT SR1223 BL LK JAMES NR BRIDGEWATER, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 122 ft³/s
    57°F53 mi9 hrs ago
  6. CATAWBA RIVER AT RHODHISS, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina
    76°F55 mi9 hrs ago
  7. CATAWBA R NR PLEASANT GARDENS, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 761 ft³/s
    70°F59 mi9 hrs ago
  8. CATAWBA RIVER AT NC HIGHWAY 16 NR MILLERSVILLE, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 161 ft³/s
    82°F59 mi9 hrs ago

Nearest swimmable spots

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

South Holston Lake4.8(234)

South Holston Lake

Lake · Tennessee

This 7,580-acre reservoir operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority offers fishing & boating.

13 mi from your location

Watauga Lake4.8(298)

Watauga Lake

Lake · Tennessee

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

15 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.