Blue Heron Lake Water Temperature
Blue Heron Lake in Polk County, Iowa averages about 86°F at the surface in summer — warmest in Jul (~86°F) and coldest in May (~72°F). These are typical values by month, not a live reading.
Typical water temperature by month
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2018–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. Months with too few readings are left blank.
Is Blue Heron Lake warm enough to swim?
Very comfortable for swimming. Warm surface water can also favor blue-green algae in nutrient-rich lakes, so check for advisories before you go in.
Want more than temperature? Blue Heron Lake scored F on water quality — clarity, algae, phosphorus, depth, fish species, and swimming safety, all on one report card.
Water temperatures at nearby Iowa lakes
Summer average ~78°F
Summer average ~79°F
Summer average ~79°F
Summer average ~77°F
Summer average ~80°F
Summer average ~77°F
Explore water temperatures
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Frequently asked questions
What is the water temperature of Blue Heron Lake?
Blue Heron Lake has a typical summer surface temperature of about 86°F. It is usually warmest in July (around 86°F) and coldest in May (around 72°F). These are typical values by month from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2023), not a live reading.
When is Blue Heron Lake warmest?
Surface water at Blue Heron Lake is typically warmest in July, reaching about 86°F. Lake surface temperature lags air temperature by several weeks, so the warmest water usually arrives in mid-to-late summer even though the hottest air can come earlier.
Is Blue Heron Lake warm enough to swim?
At its typical summer peak of about 86°F, Blue Heron Lake rates as "warm" for swimming. Very comfortable for swimming. Warm surface water can also favor blue-green algae in nutrient-rich lakes, so check for advisories before you go in.
Where does this Blue Heron Lake water temperature data come from?
Every temperature on this page is a typical (climatological) value computed from real surface-water field readings collected by state and federal agencies and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal — 12 readings from 1 monitoring station between 2018 and 2023. They describe what is typical for each month, not the temperature right now.
About this data
Water temperatures are a climatology — the typical value for each month, averaged from real surface-water field readings collected by state and federal agencies and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. They tell you what to expect, not the temperature at this moment. Actual conditions vary with recent weather, depth, and time of day.