Sam Dale Lake Water Temperature
Sam Dale Lake in Wayne County, Illinois averages about 85°F at the surface in summer — warmest in Aug (~88°F) and coldest in Oct (~65°F). These are typical values by month, not a live reading.
Typical water temperature by month
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 96 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. Months with too few readings are left blank.
Is Sam Dale Lake warm enough to swim?
Very comfortable for swimming. Warm surface water can also favor blue-green algae in nutrient-rich lakes, so check for advisories before you go in.
Want more than temperature? Sam Dale Lake scored F 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 ~81°F
Summer average ~80°F
Summer average ~74°F
Summer average ~77°F
Summer average ~81°F
Summer average ~82°F
Explore water temperatures
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Frequently asked questions
What is the water temperature of Sam Dale Lake?
Sam Dale Lake has a typical summer surface temperature of about 85°F. It is usually warmest in August (around 88°F) and coldest in October (around 65°F). These are typical values by month from 96 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021), not a live reading.
When is Sam Dale Lake warmest?
Surface water at Sam Dale Lake is typically warmest in August, reaching about 88°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 Sam Dale Lake warm enough to swim?
At its typical summer peak of about 85°F, Sam Dale Lake rates as "warm" for swimming. Very comfortable for swimming. Warm surface water can also favor blue-green algae in nutrient-rich lakes, so check for advisories before you go in.
Where does this Sam Dale 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 — 96 readings from 2 monitoring stations between 2011 and 2021. 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.