Reasonable and feasible temperature control methods for the roller compacted concrete (RCC) dams are of great importance to reduce temperature control costs and to prevent temperature cracks. Taking a RCC gravity dam as an example, the three-dimensional finite element floating grid method was used to simulate the dam construction schedule. The temperature control simulation study of the concrete gravity dam was carried out by considering the change of the elastic modulus of the concrete and the temperature rise of the hydration heat with age, the length of the cooling time and the temperature of the water. The cooling effect of water cooling and the change regulation of temperature and stress were analyzed. The results showed that: when the water cooling days were 20 days and the cooling water temperature reduced from 20 to 15 ℃, the maximum temperature in each area can be reduced by 0.6~0.7 ℃, and the maximum temperature stress can be decreased by 0.08~0.13 MPa. When the water cooling temperature was 20 ℃ and the days of cooling water increased from 15 days to 20 days, the maximum temperature of each district reduced by 1.0 ℃ and the maximum temperature stress reduced by 0.11~0.15 MPa; The maximum temperature and maximum stress of the dam body meet the temperature and stress control standard by controlling the concrete with pouring temperature 25℃ and taking the cooling water temperature 20℃ for 20 days in the whole dam. This study provides an important basis for the temperature control design of water cooling and construction management of the RCC gravity dam, and can guide the temperature control design of similar projects.