Boating Chicago

Southern Lake Michigan · Kenosha 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 Kenosha 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

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.

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

7:15:25 AM

Sunset

5:55:24 PM

Current conditions

Observed near Kenosha 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.

Kenosha, Kenosha Regional Airport (KENW) · Observed 10/23/2026, 8:50:00 PM

Air temp

52°F

Feels like

52°F

Conditions

Clear

Wind

0 mph

Wind direction

N

Gusts

Not currently available from source

Humidity

94%

Visibility

7 mi

Lake conditions · Kenosha 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

~1 ft

Buoy

45174

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

Active NOAA/NWS alerts

No active alerts returned for Kenosha Harbor 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 Kenosha Harbor. Watch wind shifts and thunderstorm chances before afternoon lake trips.

9 PM

57°

Patchy Fog

Wind 5 mph · 0%

10 PM

57°

Patchy Fog

Wind 5 mph · 0%

11 PM

56°

Patchy Fog

Wind 10 mph · 0%

12 AM

56°

Patchy Fog

Wind 10 mph · 0%

1 AM

56°

Partly Cloudy

Wind 10 mph · 0%

2 AM

56°

Mostly Clear

Wind 10 mph · 0%

3 AM

56°

Mostly Clear

Wind 10 mph · 0%

4 AM

55°

Partly Cloudy

Wind 5 mph · 0%

5 AM

55°

Partly Cloudy

Wind 5 mph · 0%

6 AM

54°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 5 mph · 0%

7 AM

54°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 10 mph · 0%

8 AM

55°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 10 mph · 0%

9 AM

57°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 10 mph · 0%

10 AM

58°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 10 mph · 0%

11 AM

60°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 10 mph · 0%

12 PM

61°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 10 mph · 0%

1 PM

61°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 10 mph · 0%

2 PM

62°

Partly Sunny

Wind 10 mph · 0%

3 PM

63°

Partly Sunny

Wind 10 mph · 0%

4 PM

61°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 10 mph · 0%

5 PM

61°

Partly Sunny

Wind 10 mph · 1%

6 PM

61°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 10 mph · 1%

7 PM

61°

Partly Cloudy

Wind 10 mph · 0%

8 PM

60°

Partly Cloudy

Wind 10 mph · 0%

7-day outlook

Tonight

54°F

Patchy Fog

Patchy fog before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. South wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wind S 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Saturday

63°F

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. South wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wind S 5 to 10 mph · Precip 1%

Saturday Night

55°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. South wind around 10 mph.

Wind S 10 mph · Precip 1%

Sunday

65°F

Partly Sunny

Partly sunny, with a high near 65. South wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wind S 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday Night

54°F

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Monday

57°F

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Northeast wind 15 to 20 mph.

Wind NE 15 to 20 mph · Precip 1%

Monday Night

51°F

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Northeast wind 15 to 20 mph.

Wind NE 15 to 20 mph · Precip 4%

Tuesday

56°F

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. East wind around 15 mph.

Wind E 15 mph · Precip 12%

Tuesday Night

53°F

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Wind SE 10 to 15 mph · Precip 12%

Wednesday

62°F

Partly Sunny

Partly sunny, with a high near 62.

Wind S 10 mph · Precip 7%

Wednesday Night

53°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Wind SW 10 mph · Precip 11%

Thursday

61°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers

A slight chance of rain showers between 7am and 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Wind W 10 to 15 mph · Precip 16%

Thursday Night

49°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 49.

Wind W 10 mph · Precip 14%

Friday

57°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers

A slight chance of rain showers after 7am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Wind NW 10 mph · Precip 17%

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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90-Minute Architecture Cruise

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Sunset Lake Cruise — ChicagoGetYourGuide

Sunset Lake Cruise

Shared ticketed cruise · Lake Michigan

Bookable experience · GetYourGuide

4.7 ★ (750+ reviews)

Check availability & price

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Seadog Speedboat Ride — ChicagoGetYourGuide

Seadog Speedboat Ride

Shared ticketed cruise · Lake Michigan

Bookable experience · GetYourGuide

4.5 ★ (450+ reviews)

Check availability & price

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Ratings and review counts from GetYourGuide (or Viator where noted). Not BoatingChicago reviews.

Boating Chicago may earn a commission when you book or shop through links on this page, at no additional cost to you. Learn more.

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

Night fireworks and special-event weekends fill harbors early — plan fuel, dockage, and a sober captain before you go.

Full weather →All news →

Recent updates

Data sources

Last fetched 10/23/2026, 10:08:55 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.