Boating Chicago

Southern Lake Michigan · Michigan City Harbor

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 Michigan City Harbor.

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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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Sunrise

6:26:09 AM

Sunset

4:36:21 PM

Current conditions

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

Michigan City Municipal Airport (KMGC) · Observed 11/5/2026, 7:35:00 PM

Air temp

48°F

Feels like

48°F

Conditions

Light Rain

Wind

0 mph

Wind direction

N

Gusts

Not currently available from source

Humidity

100%

Visibility

2 mi

Lake conditions · Michigan City Harbor

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

NOAA buoy 45174 sits off Chicago — treat these readings as a southern Lake Michigan reference, not a local Michigan City Harbor observation.

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 →

Next 24 hours

NWS hourly grid forecast for Michigan City Harbor. Watch wind shifts and thunderstorm chances before afternoon lake trips.

7 PM

52°

Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 89%

8 PM

52°

Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 89%

9 PM

51°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 74%

10 PM

50°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 74%

11 PM

49°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 74%

12 AM

48°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 20 mph · 51%

1 AM

48°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 20 mph · 51%

2 AM

48°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 20 mph · 51%

3 AM

47°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 43%

4 AM

47°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 43%

5 AM

46°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 43%

6 AM

46°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 53%

7 AM

46°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 53%

8 AM

46°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 25 mph · 53%

9 AM

46°

Rain Showers Likely

Wind 25 mph · 58%

10 AM

47°

Rain Showers Likely

Wind 25 mph · 58%

11 AM

47°

Rain Showers Likely

Wind 25 mph · 58%

12 PM

47°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 25 mph · 53%

1 PM

47°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 25 mph · 53%

2 PM

46°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 25 mph · 53%

3 PM

46°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 25 mph · 35%

4 PM

46°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 25 mph · 35%

5 PM

45°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 25 mph · 35%

6 PM

46°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 25 mph · 37%

7-day outlook

Tonight

46°F

Rain Showers

Rain showers and areas of drizzle before 1am, then areas of drizzle and scattered rain showers. Cloudy, with a low around 46. Northwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Wind NW 10 to 20 mph · Precip 89%

Friday

48°F

Rain Showers Likely

Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. Northwest wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Wind NW 20 to 25 mph · Precip 58%

Friday Night

45°F

Chance Rain Showers

A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Northwest wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Wind NW 15 to 25 mph · Precip 37%

Saturday

50°F

Chance Rain Showers then Partly Sunny

A chance of rain showers before 7am. Partly sunny, with a high near 50. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wind NW 10 to 15 mph · Precip 31%

Saturday Night

41°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 41. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday

56°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 56.

Wind W 10 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday Night

42°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 42.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Monday

60°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 60.

Wind SW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Monday Night

46°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 46.

Wind SW 10 mph · Precip 0%

Tuesday

56°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 56.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Tuesday Night

43°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 43.

Wind NW 0 to 5 mph · Precip 0%

Veterans Day

56°F

Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain

A slight chance of rain after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.

Wind NW 5 mph · Precip 15%

Wednesday Night

42°F

Slight Chance Rain

A slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42.

Wind NW 5 mph · Precip 15%

Thursday

54°F

Slight Chance Rain

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

Wind NW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 21%

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, 8:21:11 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.