Kinkaid Lake Water Temperature
Kinkaid Lake in Jackson County, Illinois averages about 68°F at the surface in summer — warmest in Sep (~70°F) and coldest in May (~61°F). These are typical values by month, not a live reading.
Typical water temperature by month
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 489 field readings (2013–2018) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. Months with too few readings are left blank.
Is Kinkaid Lake warm enough to swim?
Brisk but swimmable for short dips — most people acclimate after the first few minutes.
Want more than temperature? Kinkaid Lake scored B 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 ~67°F
Summer average ~61°F
Summer average ~71°F
Summer average ~84°F
Summer average ~69°F
Summer average ~84°F
Explore water temperatures
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Frequently asked questions
What is the water temperature of Kinkaid Lake?
Kinkaid Lake has a typical summer surface temperature of about 68°F. It is usually warmest in September (around 70°F) and coldest in May (around 61°F). These are typical values by month from 489 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2013–2018), not a live reading.
When is Kinkaid Lake warmest?
Surface water at Kinkaid Lake is typically warmest in September, reaching about 70°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 Kinkaid Lake warm enough to swim?
At its typical summer peak of about 68°F, Kinkaid Lake rates as "cool" for swimming. Brisk but swimmable for short dips — most people acclimate after the first few minutes.
Where does this Kinkaid 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 — 489 readings from 1 monitoring station between 2013 and 2018. 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.