Orchard Lake Water Temperature
Orchard Lake in Dakota County, Minnesota averages about 70°F at the surface in summer — warmest in Jul (~71°F) and coldest in Mar (~42°F). These are typical values by month, not a live reading.
Typical water temperature by month
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 153 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. Months with too few readings are left blank.
Is Orchard Lake warm enough to swim?
Pleasant for swimming — the range most people find enjoyable without a wetsuit.
Want more than temperature? Orchard Lake scored C 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 Orchard Lake?
Orchard Lake has a typical summer surface temperature of about 70°F. It is usually warmest in July (around 71°F) and coldest in March (around 42°F). These are typical values by month from 153 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025), not a live reading.
When is Orchard Lake warmest?
Surface water at Orchard Lake is typically warmest in July, reaching about 71°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 Orchard Lake warm enough to swim?
At its typical summer peak of about 70°F, Orchard Lake rates as "comfortable" for swimming. Pleasant for swimming — the range most people find enjoyable without a wetsuit.
Where does this Orchard 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 — 153 readings from 2 monitoring stations between 2010 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.