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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 22, 2026 (19 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. HOLIDAY CREEK NEAR ANDERSONVILLE, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 3 ft³/s
    71°F15 mi21 hrs ago
  2. CHERRYSTONE CK BELOW NR CO RD 1444 NR CHATHAM, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia
    72°F44 mi19 hrs ago
  3. CHERRYSTONE CK ABOVE NR CO RD 1444 NR CHATHAM, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia
    72°F44 mi20 hrs ago
  4. WHITE OAK CREEK ABOVE NEAR CHATHAM, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia
    71°F47 mi20 hrs ago
  5. WHITE OAK CREEK BELOW NEAR CHATHAM, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia
    71°F47 mi20 hrs ago
  6. JAMES RIVER AT CARTERSVILLE, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia · 2,390 ft³/s
    82°F48 mi20 hrs ago
  7. ROANOKE RIVER AT BUGGS ISLAND, VAUSGS gauge · Virginia
    74°F50 mi20 hrs ago
  8. HYCO R BL ABAY D NR MCGEHEES MILL, NCUSGS gauge · North Carolina · 6 ft³/s
    85°F50 mi20 hrs ago

Nearest swimmable spots

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

Sandy River Reservoir4.8(52)

Sandy River Reservoir

Lake · Virginia

740-acre reservoir, open since 1994, with a kayak launch & fishing opportunities.

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.