British Columbia: water temperature

At sea, 10.9 °C on average across 35 stations, from 8.4 °C (NANAKWA SHOAL) to 13.1 °C (SOUTH BROOKS). In fresh water, 6.4 °C on average across 264 stations, from -0.1 °C (Petitot River Below Highway No. 77) to 15.2 °C (Cowichan Lake Near Lake Cowichan).

See on the map

Sea and ocean

Lakes and rivers

1 other stations have not measured the water in more than 48 hours: they are not shown.

Where to swim, month by month

The normal sea temperature each month along the coast: pick a month to see where the water is warmest and whether you can swim.

• January 8.1 °C · up to 8.7 °C
• February 7.8 °C · up to 8.5 °C
• March 7.6 °C · up to 8.5 °C
• April 8.3 °C · up to 9.6 °C
• May 10.1 °C · up to 11.3 °C
• June 11.6 °C · up to 12.2 °C
• July 13.8 °C · up to 14.4 °C
• August 14.6 °C · up to 15.3 °C
• September 13.8 °C · up to 15.0 °C
• October 12.0 °C · up to 13.0 °C
• November 10.0 °C · up to 10.9 °C
• December 8.9 °C · up to 9.7 °C

Warmest water today

Where these numbers come from

Every value is a real reading from an instrument, at its position: a buoy, a wharf, a river or lake station. It keeps the time it was measured. A reading too far from those of nearby stations is marked with a “?”. Between stations, the map gives a satellite or model estimate, always labelled as such.

Sources: Bouées d'Environnement Canada, Institut Hakai, NOAA NDBC, Ocean Networks Canada, Relevés hydrologiques du Canada. Sources and credits

Nearby

• Northwest Territories 19 stations · fresh water 1.8 °C
• Saskatchewan 10 stations · fresh water 3.7 °C
• Yukon 9 stations · fresh water 2.8 °C
• Nunavut 6 stations · fresh water 1.5 °C
• Ontario 34 stations · sea 13.8 °C · fresh water 12.1 °C
• Quebec 18 stations · sea 9.8 °C · fresh water 10.6 °C