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See Cruise Times →Southern Lake Michigan · Geneva Lake (Lake Geneva, WI)
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. Currently showing the nearest official area forecast for Geneva Lake (Lake Geneva, WI).
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
Good
Good — No elevated wind, wave, or advisory factors from available data.
- No elevated wind, wave, or advisory factors from available data
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.
Sunrise
6:32:49 AM
Sunset
4:41:49 PM
Current conditions
Observed near Geneva Lake (Lake Geneva, WI) for recreational boaters. On-water conditions can differ from land station readings — always cross-check the nearshore marine forecast before you leave the harbor.
Burlington Municipal Airport (KBUU) · Observed 11/4/2026, 6:15:00 PM
Air temp
53°F
Feels like
53°F
Conditions
Cloudy
Wind
10 mph
Wind direction
SW
Gusts
16 mph
Humidity
88%
Visibility
10 mi
Lake conditions · Geneva Lake (Lake Geneva, WI)
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
Not currently available from source
Buoy
Not currently available from source
No NOAA buoy reports for Geneva Lake (Lake Geneva, WI). NOAA buoy 45174 is a Chicago nearshore Lake Michigan reference and does not describe conditions on this inland lake.
Active NOAA/NWS alerts
No active alerts returned for Geneva Lake (Lake Geneva, WI) from the NOAA/NWS feed right now. Re-check weather.gov before you go — products can change quickly.
Next 24 hours
NWS hourly grid forecast for Geneva Lake (Lake Geneva, WI). Watch wind shifts and thunderstorm chances before afternoon lake trips.
7 PM
52°
Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 32%
8 PM
51°
Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 34%
9 PM
50°
Slight Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 21%
10 PM
50°
Chance Rain Showers
Wind 10 mph · 13%
11 PM
49°
Chance Rain Showers
Wind 10 mph · 13%
12 AM
49°
Chance Rain Showers
Wind 10 mph · 12%
1 AM
49°
Slight Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 16%
2 AM
49°
Slight Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 19%
3 AM
48°
Slight Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 16%
4 AM
47°
Slight Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 16%
5 AM
47°
Slight Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 21%
6 AM
47°
Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 35%
7 AM
46°
Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 37%
8 AM
47°
Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 32%
9 AM
48°
Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 41%
10 AM
48°
Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 35%
11 AM
50°
Slight Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 21%
12 PM
50°
Cloudy
Wind 10 mph · 14%
1 PM
51°
Cloudy
Wind 10 mph · 12%
2 PM
51°
Slight Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 19%
3 PM
50°
Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 25%
4 PM
49°
Slight Chance Light Rain
Wind 10 mph · 20%
5 PM
48°
Cloudy
Wind 10 mph · 11%
6 PM
48°
Cloudy
Wind 10 mph · 8%
7-day outlook
Tonight
44°F
Chance Light Rain
A chance of rain before 10pm, then a chance of rain showers between 10pm and 1am, then a slight chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 44. Southwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wind SW 10 mph · Precip 34%
Thursday
52°F
Chance Light Rain
A chance of rain before 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 52. West wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Wind W 10 mph · Precip 41%
Thursday Night
34°F
Mostly Cloudy
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. North wind around 10 mph. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Wind N 10 mph · Precip 8%
Friday
47°F
Partly Sunny
Partly sunny, with a high near 47. North wind 5 to 15 mph.
Wind N 5 to 15 mph · Precip 0%
Friday Night
28°F
Partly Cloudy
Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. Northwest wind 0 to 5 mph.
Wind NW 0 to 5 mph · Precip 0%
Saturday
51°F
Sunny
Sunny. High near 51, with temperatures falling to around 46 in the afternoon. Northwest wind 0 to 5 mph.
Wind NW 0 to 5 mph · Precip 0%
Saturday Night
32°F
Mostly Clear
Mostly clear, with a low around 32. West wind 0 to 5 mph.
Wind W 0 to 5 mph · Precip 0%
Sunday
57°F
Sunny
Sunny. High near 57, with temperatures falling to around 50 in the afternoon. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 1%
Sunday Night
34°F
Mostly Clear
Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
Wind W 0 to 5 mph · Precip 0%
Monday
60°F
Sunny
Sunny, with a high near 60.
Wind SW 0 to 10 mph · Precip 0%
Monday Night
39°F
Mostly Clear
Mostly clear, with a low around 39.
Wind W 0 to 10 mph · Precip 0%
Tuesday
60°F
Sunny
Sunny. High near 60, with temperatures falling to around 54 in the afternoon.
Wind NW 0 to 5 mph · Precip 1%
Tuesday Night
37°F
Partly Cloudy
Partly cloudy, with a low around 37.
Wind 0 mph · Precip 1%
Veterans Day
58°F
Mostly Sunny
Mostly sunny. High near 58, with temperatures falling to around 53 in the afternoon.
Wind NW 0 to 5 mph · Precip 2%
Book an experience
Conditions look favorable for many recreational boaters — always verify official NOAA/NWS marine forecasts and use your own judgment. Here are popular Chicago water experiences you can book online.
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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
Good
Good — No elevated wind, wave, or advisory factors from available data.
- No elevated wind, wave, or advisory factors from available data
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
No active alerts returned for configured nearshore zones right now — re-check before you go.
Seasonal tip
Lake Michigan water stays colder than downtown air for much of the season — dress for the water temperature, not the skyline temperature.
Recent updates
Safety
Official updateChicago boating conditions: Good
BoatingChicago Weather · 11/4/2026
Read at BoatingChicago Weather →Lake Michigan
Official updateObserved wind near Chicago: 10 mph (gusts 16 mph)
NOAA / NWS observations · 11/4/2026
Read at NOAA / NWS observations →Safety
October 2026 Climate Summary
NWS Chicago (LOT) · 11/1/2026
Read at NWS Chicago (LOT) →Wisconsin
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NWS Milwaukee (MKX) · 10/27/2026
Read at NWS Milwaukee (MKX) →Fishing
The case of the dead sturgeon
Wisconsin Sea Grant · 10/13/2026
Read at Wisconsin Sea Grant →Data sources
Last fetched 11/4/2026, 7:13:58 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.