California: water temperature

At sea, 19.6 °C on average across 96 stations, from 12.2 °C (Crescent City, CA) to 24.6 °C (Point Loma South, CA). In fresh water, 14.4 °C on average across 95 stations, from 5.9 °C (Sagehen C Nr Truckee Ca) to 34.9 °C (Hot C A Flume Nr Mammoth Lakes Ca).

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 13.3 °C · up to 15.5 °C
• February 13.1 °C · up to 15.4 °C
• March 13.0 °C · up to 15.7 °C
• April 12.8 °C · up to 15.8 °C
• May 13.6 °C · up to 17.0 °C
• June 14.4 °C · up to 18.4 °C
• July 15.5 °C · up to 20.1 °C
• August 16.6 °C · up to 20.6 °C
• September 17.0 °C · up to 20.9 °C
• October 16.5 °C · up to 20.2 °C
• November 15.3 °C · up to 18.0 °C
• December 14.2 °C · up to 16.5 °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 de houle CDIP, Bouées de récifs (Aqualink), IOOS, stations côtières, NOAA CO-OPS, NOAA NDBC, USGS, eaux des États-Unis. Sources and credits

Nearby

• Nevada 12 stations · fresh water 13.1 °C
• Oregon 215 stations · sea 12.2 °C · fresh water 10.0 °C
• Utah 23 stations · fresh water 11.3 °C
• Arizona 17 stations · fresh water 17.1 °C
• Idaho 23 stations · fresh water 10.7 °C
• Washington 92 stations · sea 11.7 °C · fresh water 9.6 °C