Main Section Lake Water Temperature
Main Section Lake in Essex County, New York averages about 50°F at the surface in summer — warmest in Sep (~54°F) and coldest in Apr (~39°F). These are typical values by month, not a live reading.
Typical water temperature by month
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 14,500 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. Months with too few readings are left blank.
Is Main Section Lake warm enough to swim?
Wetsuit territory. Brief exposure is tolerable but prolonged swimming without protection risks hypothermia.
Want more than temperature? Main Section Lake scored A on water quality — clarity, algae, phosphorus, depth, fish species, and swimming safety, all on one report card.
Water temperatures at nearby New York lakes
Summer average ~67°F
Summer average ~53°F
Summer average ~67°F
Summer average ~74°F
Summer average ~74°F
Summer average ~73°F
Explore water temperatures
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Frequently asked questions
What is the water temperature of Main Section Lake?
Main Section Lake has a typical summer surface temperature of about 50°F. It is usually warmest in September (around 54°F) and coldest in April (around 39°F). These are typical values by month from 14,500 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023), not a live reading.
When is Main Section Lake warmest?
Surface water at Main Section Lake is typically warmest in September, reaching about 54°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 Main Section Lake warm enough to swim?
At its typical summer peak of about 50°F, Main Section Lake rates as "cold" for swimming. Wetsuit territory. Brief exposure is tolerable but prolonged swimming without protection risks hypothermia.
Where does this Main Section 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 — 14,500 readings from 1 monitoring station between 2010 and 2023. 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.