Lake Travis water temperature
Lake Travis is 84.1°F at the surface near Mansfield Dam, averaging 84.1°F today — bath-warm for most people.
Daily average
25 days recordedEach point is LCRA's own average for that day. This site began recording on 2026-07-21 — LCRA publishes only the current value, so there is no earlier history to show rather than a longer record being withheld.
What this reading is, and isn't
The measurement comes from a single floating buoy at Mansfield Dam — the deepest, most open part of the lake. It is a surface reading at one point, not a lake-wide average.
Shallow coves, the backs of creek arms and anywhere with a dark bottom typically run several degrees warmer than the dam on a summer afternoon. The upper reaches near the river inflow can run cooler after rain.
Below the surface the lake is colder, and in summer it stratifies sharply — deep water at Lake Travis stays cold year-round regardless of what the surface reads.
For swimming or skiing, treat this as the baseline for open water and expect the shoreline to feel warmer. It is a recreation reference, not a safety instrument.
Recent daily readings
| Date | Daily average | Readings sampled here |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-14 | 84.2°F | 83.9–84.8°F |
| 2026-08-13 | 84.5°F | 84.2–85.1°F |
| 2026-08-12 | 84.8°F | 84.4–85.5°F |
| 2026-08-11 | 85.2°F | 84.6–86.0°F |
| 2026-08-10 | 85.9°F | 85.5–87.2°F |
| 2026-08-09 | 85.9°F | 85.5–87.6°F |
| 2026-08-08 | 85.6°F | 85.1–88.1°F |
| 2026-08-07 | 85.5°F | 85.1–87.5°F |
| 2026-08-06 | 85.4°F | 85.1–86.6°F |
| 2026-08-05 | 85.7°F | 85.2–87.0°F |
| 2026-08-04 | 86.7°F | 85.8–88.6°F |
| 2026-08-03 | 87.7°F | 86.9–89.6°F |
| 2026-08-02 | 86.3°F | 86.0–88.9°F |
| 2026-08-01 | 85.5°F | 85.3–86.3°F |
“Daily average” is LCRA's figure for the whole day. “Readings sampled here” is the range of the individual values this site happened to record, which is why on a partial day the average can fall outside that range.
Lake Travis water level — common questions
What is the water temperature in Lake Travis?
Lake Travis is 84.1°F at the surface near Mansfield Dam, averaging 84.1°F today. That reading comes from LCRA's floating buoy at the dam, so it reflects deep open water — shallow coves and the shoreline usually run several degrees warmer.
Is Lake Travis warm enough to swim in right now?
At 84.1°F Lake Travis is bath-warm for most people. Water temperature is only part of the picture — the buoy sits in deep water by the dam, and the lake is colder below the surface than at it.
Has Lake Travis water temperature been rising or falling?
Lake Travis's daily average water temperature at Mansfield Dam has gone from 85.6°F on July 21 to 84.2°F — cooling.
Where does this Lake Travis water temperature come from?
The reading is LCRA Hydromet's floating buoy 396299 at Mansfield Dam, recorded here hourly since July 21, 2026. LCRA publishes only the current value, so this site's history begins when it started recording rather than extending back years.
Water temperature is one input to the lake level forecast — warmer water drives evaporation, which is one of the four terms in the water balance. Source: LCRA Hydromet buoy 396299 (Mansfield Dam).