Bug Lake Water Temperature
Bug Lake in Forest County, Wisconsin averages about 52°F at the surface in summer — warmest in Aug (~54°F) and coldest in Nov (~41°F). These are typical values by month, not a live reading.
Typical water temperature by month
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 160 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. Months with too few readings are left blank.
Is Bug Lake warm enough to swim?
Wetsuit territory. Brief exposure is tolerable but prolonged swimming without protection risks hypothermia.
Want more than temperature? Bug Lake scored A on water quality — clarity, algae, phosphorus, depth, fish species, and swimming safety, all on one report card.
Water temperatures at nearby Wisconsin lakes
Summer average ~53°F
Summer average ~72°F
Summer average ~76°F
Summer average ~72°F
Summer average ~80°F
Summer average ~74°F
Explore water temperatures
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Frequently asked questions
What is the water temperature of Bug Lake?
Bug Lake has a typical summer surface temperature of about 52°F. It is usually warmest in August (around 54°F) and coldest in November (around 41°F). These are typical values by month from 160 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025), not a live reading.
When is Bug Lake warmest?
Surface water at Bug Lake is typically warmest in August, reaching about 54°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 Bug Lake warm enough to swim?
At its typical summer peak of about 52°F, Bug Lake rates as "cold" for swimming. Wetsuit territory. Brief exposure is tolerable but prolonged swimming without protection risks hypothermia.
Where does this Bug 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 — 160 readings from 1 monitoring station between 2024 and 2025. 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.