Lake Michigan · Chicago
Official NOAA/NWS forecasts and alerts for recreational boaters — plus a plain-language conditions summary. Always verify marine products before you cast off.
Forecasts come from the nearest National Weather Service grid and station for each area.
Boating conditions summary
Caution
Caution — Wave height about 2 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.
Use these resources alongside the official forecast above. They are planning links — not recommendations based on today's rating.
Sunrise
6:28:35 AM
Sunset
7:03:24 PM
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 9/14/2026, 12:35:00 AM
Air temp
55°F
Feels like
55°F
Conditions
Clear
Wind
3 mph
Wind direction
NW
Gusts
Not currently available from source
Humidity
94%
Visibility
10 mi
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
~2 ft
Buoy
45174
Official National Weather Service products. These are not BoatingChicago opinions.
Official NOAA/NWS · Marine-related
Small Craft Advisory issued September 13 at 9:30PM CDT until September 14 at 3:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
* WHAT...North winds to 20 kt and significant waves to 6 ft occasionally to 8 ft. * WHERE...Gary to Michigan City IN. * WHEN...Until 3 AM CDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.
View official alert →NWS hourly grid forecast for Chicago Lakefront. Watch wind shifts and thunderstorm chances before afternoon lake trips.
12 AM
61°
Mostly Clear
Wind 10 mph · 0%
1 AM
61°
Mostly Clear
Wind 10 mph · 0%
2 AM
60°
Mostly Clear
Wind 5 mph · 0%
3 AM
59°
Mostly Clear
Wind 5 mph · 1%
4 AM
59°
Partly Cloudy
Wind 5 mph · 1%
5 AM
59°
Partly Cloudy
Wind 5 mph · 0%
6 AM
59°
Mostly Sunny
Wind 5 mph · 0%
7 AM
59°
Partly Sunny
Wind 5 mph · 0%
8 AM
62°
Mostly Sunny
Wind 10 mph · 0%
9 AM
64°
Mostly Sunny
Wind 10 mph · 0%
10 AM
66°
Sunny
Wind 10 mph · 0%
11 AM
67°
Sunny
Wind 10 mph · 0%
12 PM
69°
Mostly Sunny
Wind 10 mph · 0%
1 PM
70°
Partly Sunny
Wind 15 mph · 0%
2 PM
70°
Partly Sunny
Wind 15 mph · 0%
3 PM
71°
Partly Sunny
Wind 15 mph · 3%
4 PM
72°
Partly Sunny
Wind 15 mph · 6%
5 PM
71°
Partly Sunny
Wind 15 mph · 10%
6 PM
71°
Mostly Cloudy
Wind 15 mph · 13%
7 PM
71°
Mostly Cloudy
Wind 20 mph · 14%
8 PM
69°
Mostly Cloudy
Wind 20 mph · 12%
9 PM
69°
Mostly Cloudy
Wind 20 mph · 8%
10 PM
68°
Partly Cloudy
Wind 20 mph · 4%
11 PM
68°
Partly Cloudy
Wind 20 mph · 1%
Overnight
59°F
Mostly Clear
Mostly clear, with a low around 59. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wind NNW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 1%
Monday
73°F
Mostly Sunny
Mostly sunny. High near 73, with temperatures falling to around 71 in the afternoon. East wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Wind E 5 to 15 mph · Precip 10%
Monday Night
67°F
Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4am. Mostly cloudy. Low around 67, with temperatures rising to around 69 overnight. South southeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Wind SSE 15 to 20 mph · Precip 30%
Tuesday
86°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. West southwest wind 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wind WSW 10 to 20 mph · Precip 60%
Tuesday Night
68°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wind N 5 to 10 mph · Precip 67%
Wednesday
72°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Showers and thunderstorms likely before 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wind NE 10 mph · Precip 67%
Wednesday Night
69°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Wind NE 5 to 10 mph · Precip 59%
Thursday
75°F
Rain Showers Likely
Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75.
Wind NNE 5 to 10 mph · Precip 59%
Thursday Night
67°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
A slight chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Wind NE 5 to 10 mph · Precip 20%
Friday
74°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
A slight chance of rain showers before 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 74.
Wind E 5 to 10 mph · Precip 34%
Friday Night
67°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Wind ESE 10 mph · Precip 44%
Saturday
76°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 76.
Wind SSW 10 to 15 mph · Precip 52%
Saturday Night
65°F
Chance Rain Showers
A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Wind NNW 10 to 15 mph · Precip 52%
Sunday
72°F
Chance Rain Showers
A chance of rain showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 72.
Wind NNE 10 to 15 mph · Precip 41%
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.
A quick read of conditions, official alerts, and recent source-cited updates for Lake Michigan boaters.
Boating conditions summary
Caution
Caution — Wave height about 2 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 September 13 at 9:30PM CDT until September 14 at 3:00AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Seasonal tip
Night fireworks and special-event weekends fill harbors early — plan fuel, dockage, and a sober captain before you go.
Safety
Official updateBoatingChicago Weather · 9/14/2026
Read at BoatingChicago Weather →Lake Michigan
Official updateNOAA / NWS observations · 9/14/2026
Read at NOAA / NWS observations →Lake Michigan
Official updateNOAA buoy / lake observations · 9/14/2026
Read at NOAA buoy / lake observations →Wisconsin
NWS Alerts (Wisconsin) · 9/13/2026
Read at NWS Alerts (Wisconsin) →Wisconsin
NWS Alerts (Wisconsin) · 9/13/2026
Read at NWS Alerts (Wisconsin) →Last fetched 9/14/2026, 12:55:44 AM (approx. 15-minute cache).