Bull Shoals Lake Water Temperature
Bull Shoals Lake in Taney County, Missouri averages about 85°F at the surface in summer — warmest in Jul (~87°F) and coldest in Apr (~62°F). These are typical values by month, not a live reading.
Typical water temperature by month
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 80 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. Months with too few readings are left blank.
Is Bull Shoals 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? Bull Shoals Lake scored B on water quality — clarity, algae, phosphorus, depth, fish species, and swimming safety, all on one report card.
Water temperatures at nearby Missouri lakes
Summer average ~65°F
Summer average ~54°F
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Summer average ~56°F
Summer average ~81°F
Summer average ~54°F
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Frequently asked questions
What is the water temperature of Bull Shoals Lake?
Bull Shoals Lake has a typical summer surface temperature of about 85°F. It is usually warmest in July (around 87°F) and coldest in April (around 62°F). These are typical values by month from 80 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024), not a live reading.
When is Bull Shoals Lake warmest?
Surface water at Bull Shoals Lake is typically warmest in July, reaching about 87°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 Bull Shoals Lake warm enough to swim?
At its typical summer peak of about 85°F, Bull Shoals 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 Bull Shoals 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 — 80 readings from 1 monitoring station between 2010 and 2024. 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.