Great Northern Lake Water Temperature
Great Northern Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota averages about 78°F at the surface in summer — warmest in Jul (~80°F) and coldest in May (~67°F). These are typical values by month, not a live reading.
Typical water temperature by month
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 36 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. Months with too few readings are left blank.
Is Great Northern Lake warm enough to swim?
Pleasant for swimming — the range most people find enjoyable without a wetsuit.
Want more than temperature? Great Northern Lake scored D on water quality — clarity, algae, phosphorus, depth, fish species, and swimming safety, all on one report card.
Water temperatures at nearby Minnesota lakes
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Frequently asked questions
What is the water temperature of Great Northern Lake?
Great Northern Lake has a typical summer surface temperature of about 78°F. It is usually warmest in July (around 80°F) and coldest in May (around 67°F). These are typical values by month from 36 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025), not a live reading.
When is Great Northern Lake warmest?
Surface water at Great Northern Lake is typically warmest in July, reaching about 80°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 Great Northern Lake warm enough to swim?
At its typical summer peak of about 78°F, Great Northern Lake rates as "comfortable" for swimming. Pleasant for swimming — the range most people find enjoyable without a wetsuit.
Where does this Great Northern 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 — 36 readings from 1 monitoring station between 2022 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.