Little Iron Lake Water Temperature
Little Iron Lake in Cook County, Minnesota averages about 65°F at the surface in summer — warmest in Jul (~66°F) and coldest in May (~53°F). These are typical values by month, not a live reading.
Typical water temperature by month
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 37 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. Months with too few readings are left blank.
Is Little Iron Lake warm enough to swim?
Brisk but swimmable for short dips — most people acclimate after the first few minutes.
Want more than temperature? Little Iron Lake scored B on water quality — clarity, algae, phosphorus, depth, fish species, and swimming safety, all on one report card.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the water temperature of Little Iron Lake?
Little Iron Lake has a typical summer surface temperature of about 65°F. It is usually warmest in July (around 66°F) and coldest in May (around 53°F). These are typical values by month from 37 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025), not a live reading.
When is Little Iron Lake warmest?
Surface water at Little Iron Lake is typically warmest in July, reaching about 66°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 Little Iron Lake warm enough to swim?
At its typical summer peak of about 65°F, Little Iron Lake rates as "cool" for swimming. Brisk but swimmable for short dips — most people acclimate after the first few minutes.
Where does this Little Iron 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 — 37 readings from 1 monitoring station between 2011 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.