Boating Chicago

Lake Michigan · Chicago

Chicago Boating Weather & Lake Michigan Conditions

Official NOAA/NWS area forecasts and alerts for recreational boaters — plus a plain-language conditions summary. These are area products, not exact harbor- or ramp-mouth observations. Always verify marine products on weather.gov before you cast off.

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Choose a boating area

Chicago LakefrontWaukegan HarborWinthrop Harbor / North Point MarinaGeneva Lake (Lake Geneva, WI)Chain O' LakesKenosha HarborRacine HarborMilwaukee LakefrontMichigan City HarborNew Buffalo Harbor

Forecasts come from the nearest National Weather Service grid and station for each area.

Boating conditions summary

Caution

Caution — Active small craft advisory (Small Craft Advisory).

  • Active small craft advisory (Small Craft Advisory)

Boating conditions can change quickly. This rating is informational only and is not a substitute for official NOAA/NWS marine forecasts, local regulations, or the judgment of a qualified captain.

How to read waves, advisories, and nearshore forecasts

  • Waves and wind on this page are area NOAA/NWS products for the selected forecast point — not a sensor at your exact ramp, harbor mouth, or breakwater.
  • Marine alerts (for example Small Craft Advisories) apply to the NWS marine zones covering this area. Read the full alert text and end time on weather.gov before you cast off.
  • Nearshore marine forecast excerpts are coastal waters guidance. Conditions inside protected basins can differ from open nearshore bands; always compare the latest full product.
  • The Good / Caution / Poor card is an informational summary only — not a go/no-go clearance for any vessel or trip.

Explore while you check conditions

Use these resources alongside the official forecast above. They are planning links — not recommendations based on today's rating.

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Marine alerts on this page →Boating guides →Events →Lake Michigan →

Sunrise

6:28:08 AM

Sunset

4:40:05 PM

Current conditions

Observed near Chicago Lakefront for recreational boaters. On-water conditions can differ from land station readings — always cross-check the nearshore marine forecast before you leave the harbor.

Chicago Midway (KMDW) · Observed 11/4/2026, 6:35:00 PM

Air temp

55°F

Feels like

55°F

Conditions

Light Drizzle

Wind

13 mph

Wind direction

SW

Gusts

Not currently available from source

Humidity

82%

Visibility

10 mi

Lake Michigan nearshore

Wave and water readings come from NOAA buoy data when the station reports them. Missing values mean the buoy did not report that field — we never invent lake numbers.

Water temperature

Not currently available from source

Wave height

~1.3 ft

Buoy

45174

Active NOAA/NWS alerts

Official National Weather Service products. These are not BoatingChicago opinions.

Official NOAA/NWS · Marine-related

Small Craft Advisory

Small Craft Advisory issued November 4 at 1:55PM CST until November 5 at 3:00PM CST by NWS Chicago IL

* WHAT...Southwest winds to 25 kt and significant waves to 4 ft. * WHERE...Illinois and Indiana nearshore from Winthrop Harbor IL to Michigan City IN. * WHEN...Until 3 PM CST Thursday. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.

View official alert →

Next 24 hours

NWS hourly grid forecast for Chicago Lakefront. Watch wind shifts and thunderstorm chances before afternoon lake trips.

7 PM

55°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 15 mph · 39%

8 PM

54°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 15 mph · 39%

9 PM

53°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 15 mph · 39%

10 PM

53°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 15 mph · 39%

11 PM

53°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 15 mph · 39%

12 AM

53°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 15 mph · 30%

1 AM

52°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 15 mph · 30%

2 AM

52°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 15 mph · 30%

3 AM

52°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 15 mph · 30%

4 AM

51°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 15 mph · 30%

5 AM

51°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 15 mph · 30%

6 AM

51°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 17%

7 AM

50°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 16%

8 AM

51°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 15%

9 AM

51°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 16%

10 AM

52°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 16%

11 AM

52°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 17%

12 PM

53°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 19%

1 PM

52°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 22%

2 PM

53°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 25%

3 PM

52°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 34%

4 PM

52°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 44%

5 PM

51°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 51%

6 PM

51°

Rain Likely

Wind 10 mph · 68%

7-day outlook

Tonight

50°F

Areas Of Drizzle

Areas of drizzle. Cloudy, with a low around 50. Southwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Wind SW 15 mph · Precip 39%

Thursday

53°F

Chance Rain Showers

A chance of rain showers. Cloudy. High near 53, with temperatures falling to around 51 in the afternoon. West southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wind WSW 10 to 15 mph · Precip 51%

Thursday Night

42°F

Rain Likely then Cloudy

Rain likely before 11pm. Cloudy, with a low around 42. North northwest wind 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wind NNW 10 to 20 mph · Precip 68%

Friday

51°F

Slight Chance Rain

A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. North northwest wind 15 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Wind NNW 15 to 20 mph · Precip 16%

Friday Night

39°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. North northwest wind 10 to 20 mph.

Wind NNW 10 to 20 mph · Precip 4%

Saturday

51°F

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny, with a high near 51.

Wind NW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 1%

Saturday Night

40°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 40.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday

56°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 56.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 1%

Sunday Night

43°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 43.

Wind W 5 mph · Precip 0%

Monday

59°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 59.

Wind WSW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Monday Night

47°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 47.

Wind WSW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Tuesday

59°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 59.

Wind WNW 5 mph · Precip 1%

Tuesday Night

46°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.

Wind NW 5 mph · Precip 2%

Veterans Day

58°F

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny, with a high near 58.

Wind NNW 5 mph · Precip 3%

What wind means for recreational boating

Downtown air temperature is not the same as Lake Michigan. Wind over open water builds chop faster than the same breeze feels on land, and thunderstorms can arrive with little room to run for a harbor.

As a conservative rule of thumb for small recreational boats: winds climbing through the teens often mean a tougher ride; mid-20s and higher — especially with gusts or a small craft advisory — are a strong reason to stay docked unless you and your vessel are truly prepared.

This site's Good / Caution / Poor summary is informational only. Official NOAA/NWS marine forecasts and a qualified captain's judgment always come first.

Chicago Boating Brief

A quick read of conditions, official alerts, and recent source-cited updates for Lake Michigan boaters.

Boating conditions summary

Caution

Caution — Active small craft advisory (Small Craft Advisory).

  • Active small craft advisory (Small Craft Advisory)

Boating conditions can change quickly. This rating is informational only and is not a substitute for official NOAA/NWS marine forecasts, local regulations, or the judgment of a qualified captain.

Official alert spotlight

NOAA/NWS

Small Craft Advisory

Small Craft Advisory issued November 4 at 1:55PM CST until November 5 at 3:00PM CST by NWS Chicago IL

Seasonal tip

Lake Michigan water stays colder than downtown air for much of the season — dress for the water temperature, not the skyline temperature.

Full weather →All news →

Recent updates

Data sources

Last fetched 11/4/2026, 7:15:24 PM (approx. 15-minute cache). Observation timestamps older than 3 hours are treated as stale and shown as caution — never as a fresh “Good” day.