A comprehensive literature review was conducted with Web of Science to identify relevant studies published between 2013 and October 2024. The search included the keywords ‘Sentinel-2’ or ‘Sentinel 2’ with ‘chl-a’ or ‘chlorophyll-a,’ ‘lakes,’ and ‘water.’ Of the initial 221 studies retrieved, studies were excluded if they (1) only mentioned Sentinel-2 or chlorophyll-a without using them in the analysis, (2) focused on non-water measures such as vegetation or land cover, (3) used synthetic satellite data, (4) used only satellite data (that is, do not include in situ measurements), or (5) included satellites in addition to Sentinel-2 in their analyses and did not separate the results by sensor. This left 122 studies to be reviewed that included both Sentinel-2 satellite data and in situ data. The full collection of studies investigated is referenced. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Goodrich, S., B. Schaeffer, K. Meyers, W. Salls, T. King, B. Seegers, O. Cronin-Golomb, D. Demaree, and M. Reif. Sentinel-2 for chlorophyll-a water quality monitoring: a review of validation evidence and application potential. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF REMOTE SENSING. Taylor & Francis, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, USA, 47(9): 3820-3845, (2026).