Boating Chicago

Southern Lake Michigan · New Buffalo 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 New Buffalo 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

7:09:57 AM

Sunset

5:52:18 PM

Current conditions

Observed near New Buffalo 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 10/23/2026, 8:15:00 PM

Air temp

Not currently available from source

Feels like

Not currently available from source

Conditions

Clear

Wind

0 mph

Wind direction

N

Gusts

Not currently available from source

Humidity

Not currently available from source

Visibility

10 mi

Lake conditions · New Buffalo 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 New Buffalo Harbor observation.

Active NOAA/NWS alerts

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

9 PM

53°

Partly Cloudy

Wind 5 mph · 0%

10 PM

54°

Partly Cloudy

Wind 5 mph · 0%

11 PM

55°

Mostly Clear

Wind 5 mph · 0%

12 AM

54°

Mostly Clear

Wind 5 mph · 0%

1 AM

53°

Mostly Clear

Wind 5 mph · 0%

2 AM

52°

Mostly Clear

Wind 5 mph · 0%

3 AM

51°

Mostly Clear

Wind 5 mph · 0%

4 AM

50°

Mostly Clear

Wind 5 mph · 0%

5 AM

48°

Sunny

Wind 5 mph · 0%

6 AM

48°

Sunny

Wind 5 mph · 0%

7 AM

47°

Sunny

Wind 5 mph · 0%

8 AM

49°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 5 mph · 0%

9 AM

52°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 5 mph · 0%

10 AM

56°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 5 mph · 0%

11 AM

60°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 5 mph · 0%

12 PM

63°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 5 mph · 0%

1 PM

66°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 5 mph · 0%

2 PM

68°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 5 mph · 0%

3 PM

68°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 5 mph · 0%

4 PM

67°

Mostly Sunny

Wind 5 mph · 0%

5 PM

65°

Partly Cloudy

Wind 5 mph · 0%

6 PM

62°

Partly Cloudy

Wind 5 mph · 0%

7 PM

60°

Partly Cloudy

Wind 5 mph · 0%

8 PM

58°

Partly Cloudy

Wind 5 mph · 0%

7-day outlook

Tonight

46°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 46. Southeast wind around 5 mph.

Wind SE 5 mph · Precip 0%

Saturday

69°F

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. South wind around 5 mph.

Wind S 5 mph · Precip 0%

Saturday Night

49°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 49. Southeast wind around 5 mph.

Wind SE 5 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday

71°F

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. South wind around 5 mph.

Wind S 5 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday Night

52°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. South wind 0 to 5 mph.

Wind S 0 to 5 mph · Precip 0%

Monday

66°F

Partly Sunny

Partly sunny, with a high near 66.

Wind W 0 to 5 mph · Precip 0%

Monday Night

50°F

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.

Wind NE 5 mph · Precip 1%

Tuesday

63°F

Partly Sunny

Partly sunny, with a high near 63.

Wind E 5 to 10 mph · Precip 5%

Tuesday Night

51°F

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.

Wind SE 5 mph · Precip 5%

Wednesday

67°F

Partly Sunny

Partly sunny, with a high near 67.

Wind S 5 to 10 mph · Precip 4%

Wednesday Night

54°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Wind S 5 to 10 mph · Precip 6%

Thursday

65°F

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.

Wind SW 10 mph · Precip 13%

Thursday Night

49°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 49.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 13%

Friday

61°F

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 13%

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

Check Availability →

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.

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Recent updates

Data sources

Last fetched 10/23/2026, 10:09:51 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.