Dead Horse Lake Water Temperature
Dead Horse Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota averages about 66°F at the surface in summer — warmest in Aug (~73°F) and coldest in May (~54°F). These are typical values by month, not a live reading.
Typical water temperature by month
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 57 field readings (2021–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. Months with too few readings are left blank.
Is Dead Horse Lake warm enough to swim?
Brisk but swimmable for short dips — most people acclimate after the first few minutes.
Want more than temperature? Dead Horse Lake scored B on water quality — clarity, algae, phosphorus, depth, fish species, and swimming safety, all on one report card.
Water temperatures at nearby Minnesota lakes
Summer average ~60°F
Summer average ~51°F
Summer average ~59°F
Summer average ~70°F
Summer average ~63°F
Summer average ~73°F
Explore water temperatures
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Frequently asked questions
What is the water temperature of Dead Horse Lake?
Dead Horse Lake has a typical summer surface temperature of about 66°F. It is usually warmest in August (around 73°F) and coldest in May (around 54°F). These are typical values by month from 57 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2025), not a live reading.
When is Dead Horse Lake warmest?
Surface water at Dead Horse Lake is typically warmest in August, reaching about 73°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 Dead Horse Lake warm enough to swim?
At its typical summer peak of about 66°F, Dead Horse Lake rates as "cool" for swimming. Brisk but swimmable for short dips — most people acclimate after the first few minutes.
Where does this Dead Horse 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 — 57 readings from 1 monitoring station between 2021 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.