Boating Chicago

Southern Lake Michigan · Winthrop Harbor / North Point Marina

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 Winthrop Harbor / North Point Marina.

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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.

  • Wave height about 4.3 ft

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

6:30:05 AM

Sunset

4:39:33 PM

Current conditions

Observed near Winthrop Harbor / North Point Marina 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/Waukegan Regional Airport (KUGN) · Observed 11/5/2026, 7:31:00 PM

Air temp

45°F

Feels like

45°F

Conditions

Light Rain and Fog/Mist

Wind

10 mph

Wind direction

N

Gusts

Not currently available from source

Humidity

97%

Visibility

4 mi

Lake conditions · Winthrop Harbor / North Point Marina

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 Winthrop Harbor / North Point Marina observation.

Active NOAA/NWS alerts

No active alerts returned for Winthrop Harbor / North Point Marina 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 Winthrop Harbor / North Point Marina. Watch wind shifts and thunderstorm chances before afternoon lake trips.

1 PM

52°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 10 mph · 28%

2 PM

52°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 10 mph · 28%

3 PM

52°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 64%

4 PM

52°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 64%

5 PM

51°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 64%

6 PM

49°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 60%

7 PM

47°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 60%

8 PM

46°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 20 mph · 60%

9 PM

45°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 20 mph · 32%

10 PM

44°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 20 mph · 32%

11 PM

44°

Areas Of Drizzle

Wind 20 mph · 32%

12 AM

43°

Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 5%

1 AM

42°

Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 5%

2 AM

40°

Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 5%

3 AM

40°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 5%

4 AM

40°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 5%

5 AM

39°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 5%

6 AM

38°

Partly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 4%

7 AM

39°

Partly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 4%

8 AM

40°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 4%

9 AM

41°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 4%

10 AM

43°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 4%

11 AM

44°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 4%

12 PM

45°

Partly Sunny

Wind 20 mph · 3%

7-day outlook

This Afternoon

52°F

Areas Of Drizzle

Areas of drizzle and scattered rain showers before 3pm, then a chance of rain showers and areas of drizzle. Cloudy, with a high near 52. West northwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wind WNW 10 mph · Precip 64%

Tonight

38°F

Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy

A chance of rain showers and areas of drizzle before 9pm, then areas of drizzle and scattered rain showers between 9pm and midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. North wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wind N 15 to 20 mph · Precip 60%

Friday

46°F

Partly Sunny

Partly sunny. High near 46, with temperatures falling to around 42 in the afternoon. North northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.

Wind NNW 15 to 20 mph · Precip 4%

Friday Night

34°F

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. North northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Wind NNW 10 to 15 mph · Precip 3%

Saturday

52°F

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny, with a high near 52. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wind WNW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Saturday Night

39°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 39.

Wind WSW 10 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday

57°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 57.

Wind W 10 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday Night

38°F

Clear

Clear, with a low around 38.

Wind W 5 mph · Precip 0%

Monday

61°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 61.

Wind SW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Monday Night

42°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 42.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Tuesday

58°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 58.

Wind WNW 5 mph · Precip 0%

Tuesday Night

39°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Wind WNW 5 mph · Precip 0%

Veterans Day

55°F

Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain

A slight chance of rain after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 55.

Wind NW 5 mph · Precip 15%

Wednesday Night

39°F

Slight Chance Rain

A slight chance of rain. Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Wind NW 5 mph · Precip 15%

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.

  • Wave height about 4.3 ft

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

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, 8:18:37 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.