Little Traverse Bay Lake Water Temperature
Little Traverse Bay Lake in Emmet County, Michigan averages about 56°F at the surface in summer — warmest in Oct (~57°F) and coldest in May (~41°F). These are typical values by month, not a live reading.
Typical water temperature by month
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 45 field readings (2015–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. Months with too few readings are left blank.
Is Little Traverse Bay Lake warm enough to swim?
Wetsuit territory. Brief exposure is tolerable but prolonged swimming without protection risks hypothermia.
Want more than temperature? Little Traverse Bay Lake scored A on water quality — clarity, algae, phosphorus, depth, fish species, and swimming safety, all on one report card.
Water temperatures at nearby Michigan lakes
Summer average ~74°F
Summer average ~75°F
Summer average ~67°F
Summer average ~60°F
Summer average ~76°F
Summer average ~76°F
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Frequently asked questions
What is the water temperature of Little Traverse Bay Lake?
Little Traverse Bay Lake has a typical summer surface temperature of about 56°F. It is usually warmest in October (around 57°F) and coldest in May (around 41°F). These are typical values by month from 45 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2015–2024), not a live reading.
When is Little Traverse Bay Lake warmest?
Surface water at Little Traverse Bay Lake is typically warmest in October, reaching about 57°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 Traverse Bay Lake warm enough to swim?
At its typical summer peak of about 56°F, Little Traverse Bay Lake rates as "cold" for swimming. Wetsuit territory. Brief exposure is tolerable but prolonged swimming without protection risks hypothermia.
Where does this Little Traverse Bay 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 — 45 readings from 2 monitoring stations between 2015 and 2024. 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.