A few years back my brother and I were trout fishing in a lake at a nearby WMA and heard dogs barking on the ridge above us. A buck came running down off the ridge and without hesitation jumped into the lake and swam across the widest part which was about 100 yards. Needless to say the dogs lost his trail.......lol. It was 14 degrees that morning. I live by the Kanawha river and I've seen deer swim it several times.