Boating Chicago

Southern Lake Michigan · Milwaukee Lakefront

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 Milwaukee Lakefront.

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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

Caution

Caution — Sustained wind 17 mph; Gusts 25 mph; Active small craft advisory (Small Craft Advisory).

  • Sustained wind 17 mph
  • Gusts 25 mph
  • 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

6:30:19 AM

Sunset

4:39:58 PM

Current conditions

Observed near Milwaukee 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.

Milwaukee, General Mitchell International Airport (KMKE) · Observed 11/4/2026, 2:35:00 PM

Air temp

57°F

Feels like

57°F

Conditions

Mostly Cloudy

Wind

17 mph

Wind direction

W

Gusts

25 mph

Humidity

77%

Visibility

10 mi

Lake conditions · Milwaukee Lakefront

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

NOAA buoy 45174 sits off Chicago — treat these readings as a southern Lake Michigan reference, not a local Milwaukee Lakefront 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 4 at 12:56PM CST until November 5 at 12:00PM CST by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

* WHAT...Southwest winds 15 to 20 kt with gusts up to 25 kt and waves 4 to 6 ft. * WHERE...Nearshore Waters from Sheboygan to Winthrop Harbor IL. * WHEN...Until noon CST Thursday. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.

View official alert →

Next 24 hours

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

3 PM

56°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 2%

4 PM

56°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 3%

5 PM

55°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 3%

6 PM

54°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 4%

7 PM

54°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 4%

8 PM

54°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 4%

9 PM

53°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 3%

10 PM

53°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 3%

11 PM

52°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 4%

12 AM

52°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 5%

1 AM

51°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 6%

2 AM

51°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 6%

3 AM

51°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 10%

4 AM

50°

Slight Chance Light Rain

Wind 15 mph · 15%

5 AM

50°

Chance Light Rain

Wind 15 mph · 35%

6 AM

50°

Light Rain Likely

Wind 15 mph · 55%

7 AM

49°

Light Rain Likely

Wind 15 mph · 59%

8 AM

50°

Light Rain Likely

Wind 15 mph · 63%

9 AM

51°

Chance Light Rain

Wind 15 mph · 48%

10 AM

51°

Chance Light Rain

Wind 15 mph · 33%

11 AM

51°

Chance Light Rain

Wind 15 mph · 32%

12 PM

51°

Chance Light Rain

Wind 15 mph · 31%

1 PM

52°

Chance Light Rain

Wind 10 mph · 29%

2 PM

52°

Chance Light Rain

Wind 15 mph · 27%

7-day outlook

This Afternoon

63°F

Cloudy

Cloudy. High near 63, with temperatures falling to around 55 in the afternoon. Southwest wind around 15 mph.

Wind SW 15 mph · Precip 3%

Tonight

47°F

Cloudy then Chance Light Rain

A chance of rain showers between 3am and 4am, then a chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 47. Southwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Wind SW 15 mph · Precip 35%

Thursday

53°F

Light Rain Likely

Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 53. West wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wind W 10 to 15 mph · Precip 63%

Thursday Night

39°F

Slight Chance Light Rain then Cloudy

A slight chance of rain before 7pm. Cloudy, with a low around 39. North wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wind N 15 to 20 mph · Precip 18%

Friday

45°F

Partly Sunny

Partly sunny, with a high near 45. North wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.

Wind N 15 to 25 mph · Precip 6%

Friday Night

34°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. North wind 10 to 15 mph.

Wind N 10 to 15 mph · Precip 0%

Saturday

48°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 48. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wind NW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Saturday Night

38°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 38. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday

54°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 54.

Wind W 10 to 15 mph · Precip 1%

Sunday Night

40°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 40.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Monday

57°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 57.

Wind SW 5 to 15 mph · Precip 0%

Monday Night

45°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 45.

Wind W 10 to 15 mph · Precip 0%

Tuesday

55°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 55.

Wind NW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Tuesday Night

43°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.

Wind NW 5 mph · Precip 1%

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 — Sustained wind 17 mph; Gusts 25 mph; Active small craft advisory (Small Craft Advisory).

  • Sustained wind 17 mph
  • Gusts 25 mph
  • 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 12:56PM CST until November 5 at 12:00PM CST by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

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, 7:24:46 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.