Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Water chemistry Water Temp Question

A question is never a dumb question especially when one cannot easily find the answer. The answer is really not a simple answer. Temperature of a water body regarding depth depends on numerous conditions and the reason why the water temperature is desired.

The water temperature of a pond or lake does usually change with depth and the conditions or time of year when the measurement is collected. Sometimes the temperature can sometimes vary by as much as 28F between top and bottom. When the water body is thermally destratified and being mixed by wind action (aka turnover), the temperature is mostly uniform (within 1-3 deg F) top to bottom. At other times during warm weather the water is usually warmest on top (6"-12") and within the upper 2 - 3 ft. Then at deeper depths the temperature decreases the deeper the temperature is collected. The amount of decrease depends on the type of water body, the depth and where the pond/lake is located. The amount of temperature decrease depends on the time of year, the exposure to wind action / height of vaves, the type of water body plus some other factors. All this is why you couldn't find a simple easy answer.