Charleston Side Channel Lake Water Temperature
Charleston Side Channel Lake in Coles County, Illinois averages about 81°F at the surface in summer — warmest in Jul (~85°F) and coldest in Apr (~61°F). These are typical values by month, not a live reading.
Typical water temperature by month
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 156 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. Months with too few readings are left blank.
Is Charleston Side Channel 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? Charleston Side Channel Lake scored D on water quality — clarity, algae, phosphorus, depth, fish species, and swimming safety, all on one report card.
Water temperatures at nearby Illinois lakes
Summer average ~80°F
Summer average ~78°F
Summer average ~70°F
Summer average ~77°F
Summer average ~72°F
Summer average ~80°F
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Frequently asked questions
What is the water temperature of Charleston Side Channel Lake?
Charleston Side Channel Lake has a typical summer surface temperature of about 81°F. It is usually warmest in July (around 85°F) and coldest in April (around 61°F). These are typical values by month from 156 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021), not a live reading.
When is Charleston Side Channel Lake warmest?
Surface water at Charleston Side Channel Lake is typically warmest in July, reaching about 85°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 Charleston Side Channel Lake warm enough to swim?
At its typical summer peak of about 81°F, Charleston Side Channel 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 Charleston Side Channel 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 — 156 readings from 3 monitoring stations between 2011 and 2021. 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.