Posting from the Black Butte Triathlon:

Water Temperature CURRENTLY 50 DEGREES

Ok, we need to be frank with you it is cold:. There is no way to candy coat it, it is what it is. We are currently getting water temp readings right around 50 degrees which is totally doable with a wetsuit. Trust us we have swam it before but you need to be prepared for it. We have a lot of first timers and or peeps who are not seasoned Polar Bears we are strongly URGING that everyone wears a wetsuit. If for whatever reason the day of the event you feel like the swim is not for you, you can bypass that hurdle. You will just have to wait for all the swimmers to finish the swim portion and then you will be able to proceed with the Bike and Run. Unfortunately you will not be eligible for Age Group prizes but at least you get to race the majority of the event.

On a warmer side of things and a bit of local trivia for you. Black Butte Lake is a shallower lake as opposed to a Shasta Lake or a Lake Tahoe. Point being is the 10 day forecast is insanely AWEEESOMMMEEEE! We are seeing a forecast of +70 degrees! So we do expect the water to come up a bit but not to bath water like temperatures.