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

Poor

Poor — Wave height about 4.3 ft; Active small craft advisory (Small Craft Advisory).

  • Wave height about 4.3 ft
  • 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

6:29:22 AM

Sunset

4:38:56 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 11/5/2026, 6:55:00 PM

Air temp

52°F

Feels like

52°F

Conditions

Light Drizzle

Wind

7 mph

Wind direction

N

Gusts

Not currently available from source

Humidity

87%

Visibility

7 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

~4.3 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 5 at 1:51PM CST until November 7 at 3:00PM CST by NWS Chicago IL

* WHAT...Northwest winds to 30 kt with a few gale force gusts to 35 kt and significant waves to 11 ft occasionally to 14 ft expected. * WHERE...Calumet Harbor IL to Michigan City IN. * WHEN...From 6 PM this evening to 3 PM CST Saturday. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.

View official alert →

Official NOAA/NWS · Marine-related

Small Craft Advisory

Small Craft Advisory issued November 5 at 1:51PM CST until November 7 at 9:00AM CST by NWS Chicago IL

* WHAT...Northwest winds to 30 kt and significant waves to 8 ft occasionally to 10 ft expected. * WHERE...Winthrop Harbor to Calumet Harbor IL. * WHEN...From 6 PM this evening to 9 AM CST Saturday. * 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.

8 PM

50°

Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 83%

9 PM

48°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 70%

10 PM

47°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 70%

11 PM

46°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 70%

12 AM

46°

Patchy Drizzle

Wind 20 mph · 15%

1 AM

44°

Patchy Drizzle

Wind 20 mph · 15%

2 AM

43°

Patchy Drizzle

Wind 20 mph · 15%

3 AM

42°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 5%

4 AM

42°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 5%

5 AM

42°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 5%

6 AM

41°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 4%

7 AM

41°

Partly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 4%

8 AM

41°

Partly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 4%

9 AM

42°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 4%

10 AM

44°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 4%

11 AM

45°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 4%

12 PM

46°

Partly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 3%

1 PM

46°

Partly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 3%

2 PM

46°

Partly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 3%

3 PM

46°

Partly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 2%

4 PM

45°

Partly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 2%

5 PM

44°

Partly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 2%

6 PM

44°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 3%

7 PM

44°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 3%

7-day outlook

Tonight

41°F

Rain Showers then Patchy Drizzle

Rain showers and areas of drizzle before midnight, then patchy drizzle and isolated rain showers between midnight and 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. North northwest wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wind NNW 20 mph · Precip 83%

Friday

47°F

Partly Sunny

Partly sunny. High near 47, with temperatures falling to around 44 in the afternoon. North northwest wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Wind NNW 20 mph · Precip 4%

Friday Night

38°F

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Northwest wind 15 to 20 mph.

Wind NW 15 to 20 mph · Precip 3%

Saturday

51°F

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wind WNW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Saturday Night

40°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 40. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wind WSW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday

57°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 57.

Wind WSW 10 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday Night

43°F

Clear

Clear, with a low around 43.

Wind WSW 5 mph · Precip 0%

Monday

61°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 61.

Wind SW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Monday Night

47°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 47.

Wind WSW 5 to 15 mph · Precip 0%

Tuesday

58°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 58.

Wind WNW 5 mph · Precip 0%

Tuesday Night

45°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 45.

Wind WNW 5 mph · Precip 0%

Veterans Day

56°F

Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain

A slight chance of rain after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.

Wind NW 5 mph · Precip 15%

Wednesday Night

45°F

Slight Chance Rain

A slight chance of rain. Partly cloudy, with a low around 45.

Wind NW 5 mph · Precip 15%

Thursday

54°F

Slight Chance Rain

A slight chance of rain. Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.

Wind NW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 16%

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

Poor

Poor — Wave height about 4.3 ft; Active small craft advisory (Small Craft Advisory).

  • Wave height about 4.3 ft
  • 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 5 at 1:51PM CST until November 7 at 3:00PM CST by NWS Chicago IL

Seasonal tip

Afternoon lake breezes can differ sharply from Loop conditions. Check the nearshore marine forecast before you leave the harbor.

Full weather →All news →

Recent updates

Data sources

Last fetched 11/5/2026, 8:26:27 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.