Linking the increased occurrence of algae in aquatic environments with climate change remains contentious due to the lack of clear connections between the elements that support algae growth and climate change. This study investigates whether some clarity can be derived at this time in light of the accelerated pace with which the climate is changing. Recently acquired data (2013–2023), consisting of thousands of measurements associated with 22 variables across four types of inland water bodies (lagoon, creek, river, and slough) in California (USA) were used. The data were analyzed in a multivariate space to assess similarities and pairwise associations among the variables. With chlorophyll-a as surrogate for algae occurrence, results indicate that the nature of similarities or correlations was specific to a water body. Oxygen and nitrogen (determined by the Khejal method) for instance show significantly direct correlation with chlorophyll-a in the slough and not in a lagoon, creek, or river. Furthermore, while the chlorophyll-a level correlated with the turbidity in the river, there was no such correlation in the lagoon and creek. In the lagoon, chlorophyll-a level was inversely correlated with temperature and oxygen saturation level, but in the slough, the correlation with oxygen saturation level was direct. In the slough, chlorophyll-a correlated negatively with dissolved ions (chloride and sulfate), dissolved solids (solution and fixed), salinity and conductivity, and dissolved oxygen. Notably, in the lagoon, there was a delayed response in chlorophyll-a production relative to daily fluctuations in pH, oxygen levels, and temperature. Based on these empirical findings, we conclude that no generalized statement can be made at this time regarding a link between climate change indicators and the occurrence of algae.