Georgia Coast
Savannah Water Temperature
Miles of spartina marsh, oyster rakes, and the biggest tides in the Southeast.
That is about 8°F warmer than average for this time of year, and cooling over the last two weeks. The October average here is 73°F.
Updated Saturday, October 3 — sea-surface temperature modeled for Savannah by Open-Meteo.
For swimming
Warm
About as good as it gets — warm enough to stay in for hours without getting chilled.
For fishing
Peak season
Snook, redfish and tarpon are all active and feeding. The tarpon migration through the passes runs at the upper end of this range.
The last two weeks
Daily average sea-surface temperature, °F.
Savannah water temperature by month
Averaged from 3 years of daily sea-surface temperature (2023–2025). The range column is the coolest and warmest daily average recorded in that month over the period — a guide to how much any given year can differ, not a record high and low.
| Month | Average | Range | Swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53°F | 47–56°F | Cold |
| February | 56°F | 53–64°F | Cold |
| March | 62°F | 55–68°F | Bracing |
| April | 70°F | 64–75°F | Cool but comfortable |
| May | 77°F | 71–82°F | Warm |
| June | 82°F | 73–87°F | Very warm |
| July | 86°F | 84–89°F | Very warm |
| August | 85°F | 81–89°F | Very warm |
| September | 81°F | 78–85°F | Warm |
| Octobernow | 73°F | 67–81°F | Cool but comfortable |
| November | 66°F | 60–74°F | Bracing |
| December | 57°F | 54–63°F | Cold |
Warmest on average in July at 86°F; coolest in January at 53°F.
The water at Savannah
Behind Savannah lies one of the largest stretches of salt marsh on the Atlantic coast — the Wilmington, Skidaway, and Bull rivers braiding through spartina toward Wassaw Sound. Georgia's tidal range, among the biggest on the East Coast, means the same creek is a redfish highway at high water and a bare mud bank six hours later, so learning a spot here really means learning it at four different water levels. Redfish and trout are the year-round targets, sheepshead swarm dock pilings and bridge rubble in cold weather, and flounder ambush the sandy cuts. Kayakers use the same creeks and the same tide tables, and the marsh is worth paddling for the birds alone. Winter is quietly the best season, when the water clears and reds school in numbers you can see from a poling platform.
the Savannah River & the marsh
What moves the water temperature here
The Gulf shelf off this coast is shallow, which is why the water swings so much more between summer and winter than open ocean at the same latitude does. Shallow water heats fast and gives that heat up fast: a single strong winter cold front can pull the inshore bays several degrees down in a couple of days, while the beaches a mile offshore barely move. Wind direction matters too — a sustained offshore breeze can pull cooler water up from below and drop the beach temperature noticeably in a morning.
Inshore bays, canals and flats run warmer than the beach through the summer and colder through the winter, for the same reason. The reading above is for the open water at Savannah; expect the back bays to be a few degrees either side of it depending on the season.
Common questions
- What is the water temperature at Savannah right now?
- The water at Savannah is currently about 81°F (27°C). The October average here is 73°F.
- Is the water warm enough to swim at Savannah in October?
- October averages 73°F at Savannah, which most people would call cool but comfortable. Refreshing rather than cold — comfortable once you're past the first minute.
- When is the water warmest at Savannah?
- July is the warmest month on average at 86°F, and January the coolest at 53°F. 5 months of the year average 75°F or above.
- Why does the water temperature change so quickly here?
- The Gulf shelf off this coast is shallow, so it heats and cools far faster than deep open ocean. A strong winter cold front can pull the inshore water down several degrees in a couple of days, and a sustained offshore wind can drop beach temperatures in a single morning by pulling cooler water up from below.