The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of environmental temperature and backfat thickness (BT) on the reproductive performance of lactating sows. Sixty crossbred sows were allotted to four groups in a 2×2 factorial arrangement by environmental temperature (high temperature [HT], 27.5±1.76℃; low temperature [LT], 23.3±0.89℃) and BT (<20 mm, average 17.70 mm; ≥20 mm, average 23.20 mm) from July to August 2019. Sows in the HT group experienced a greater change in BT and a lower feed intake. Losses in body weight and BT were lower in sows with <20 mm BT than in those with ≥20 mm BT. Sows with low BT had a lower weaning-to-estrus interval than sows with high BT (5.20, 4.93 d vs. 5.87, 5.60 d, respectively). Piglet survivability was lower in the HT group (90.31%) than in the LT group (94.87%). Piglet weaning weight and average daily weight gain were greater in sows with <20 mm BT (5.75 kg and 201.46 g, respectively) than in those with ≥20 mm BT (5.49 kg and 188.41 g, respectively). Sows in the HT group had higher cortisol concentrations than those in the LT group (post-farrowing: HT 7.86 μg/mL vs. LT 6.04 μg/mL; weanling: HT 5.48 μg/mL vs. LT 4.40 μg/mL). In conclusion, environmental temperature adversely influenced sow performance and cortisol levels. Moreover, sows with low BT had a greater weaning-to-estrus interval when subjected to heat stress.