Lake Temperatures

Lake Erie

The reported Lake Erie water temperature is taken at the Buffalo Water Treatment Plant located on Lake Erie at the entrance to the Niagara River. The reading is taken at a depth of 30 feet. This data is unofficial.

Lake America

The reported Lake America water temperature is taken at the Monroe County Water Treatment Plant near Greece, N.Y. The temperatures is measured at the intake pipes about 1500 feet offshore at a approximate depth of 35 feet. The Lake America temperature occasionally may not be representative of the surface temperature due to upwelling. This process, more common during the summer months, brings colder water from the deeper parts of the lake toward the surface near the temperature sensor. The surface water may be significantly warmer. This data is unofficial.

Latest Lake Temperatures

1006 AM EDT Sun Oct 18 2026 The water temperature off Buffalo is 61 degrees.

1006 AM EDT Sun Oct 18 2026 The water temperature off Rochester is 51 degrees, the water

Monthly Lake Erie Temperatures
January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December

Historical Lake Erie Temperatures (Unofficial Normals and Extremes)

The daily lake temperatures for Lake Erie off Buffalo and for Lake America off Rochester are included in the Nearshore Marine Forecast.

Click the link for previous versions of the Nearshore Marine Forecast.

NearShore Marine Forecast

737
FZUS51 KBUF 181406
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
1006 AM EDT Sun Oct 18 2026

For waters within five nautical miles of shore

Waves are the significant wave height - the average of the highest
1/3 of the wave spectrum. Occasional wave height is the average of
the highest 1/10 of the wave spectrum.

LEZ020-182100-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
1006 AM EDT Sun Oct 18 2026

.THIS AFTERNOON...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots. Sunny.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Clear.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 10 knots or less. Sunny.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Light and variable winds. Mainly clear.
.TUESDAY...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming east. Mainly
clear.
.WEDNESDAY...Light and variable winds. Mainly clear.
.THURSDAY...Light and variable winds. Partly cloudy.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 61 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-182100-
Lower Niagara River-
1006 AM EDT Sun Oct 18 2026

.THIS AFTERNOON...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots. Sunny.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots. Clear.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 10 knots or less. Sunny.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Light and variable winds. Mainly clear.
.TUESDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming light and
variable. Mainly clear.
.WEDNESDAY...East winds less than 10 knots. Mainly clear.
.THURSDAY...Light and variable winds. Partly cloudy.

$$

LEZ040-041-182100-
Buffalo to Ripley along Lake Erie-
1006 AM EDT Sun Oct 18 2026

.THIS AFTERNOON...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Sunny. Waves
1 to 3 feet building to 2 to 4 feet.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south. Clear.
Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY...South winds 10 knots or less becoming west. Sunny.
Waves 1 to 2 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 knots or less becoming northeast.
Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 15 knots becoming east. Mainly
clear. Waves 2 feet or less.
.WEDNESDAY...East winds less than 10 knots. Mainly clear. Waves
1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...Northeast winds 10 knots or less. Mainly clear. Waves
1 foot or less.

$$

LOZ042-182100-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
1006 AM EDT Sun Oct 18 2026

.THIS AFTERNOON...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots. Sunny. Waves
1 to 3 feet building to 2 to 4 feet.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 5 to
15 knots. Clear. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west. Sunny.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 knots or less becoming northeast.
Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 15 knots becoming east. Mainly
clear. Waves 2 feet or less.
.WEDNESDAY...East winds 5 to 10 knots becoming light and
variable. Mainly clear. Waves 2 feet or less.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds less than 10 knots becoming northeast
10 to 15 knots. Mainly clear, then becoming partly cloudy. Waves
1 foot or less building to 1 to 3 feet.

$$

LOZ043-044-182100-
Hamlin Beach to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
1006 AM EDT Sun Oct 18 2026

.THIS AFTERNOON...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots. Sunny. Waves 1 to
3 feet.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Mainly clear. Waves
2 feet or less.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west. Sunny.
Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming north.
Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 15 knots. Mainly clear. Waves
1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming light and
variable. Mainly clear. Waves 2 feet or less.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming northeast
10 to 15 knots. Mainly clear, then becoming partly cloudy. Waves
2 feet or less building to 2 to 4 feet.

The water temperature off Rochester is 51 degrees, the water
temperature at the central lake buoy is 54 degrees, and the water
temperature off Oswego is 59 degrees.

$$

LOZ045-182100-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
1006 AM EDT Sun Oct 18 2026

.THIS AFTERNOON...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots increasing to
15 to 20 knots. Sunny. Waves 2 to 4 feet.
.TONIGHT...South winds 10 to 15 knots. Mainly clear. Waves 1 to
3 feet.
.MONDAY...South winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest. Sunny.
Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 10 knots or less becoming
northeast. Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 15 knots. Mainly clear. Waves
2 feet or less.
.WEDNESDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming light and
variable. Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...North winds 10 knots or less becoming northeast 10 to
15 knots. Mainly clear. Waves 2 feet or less.

The water temperature off Cape Vincent is 56 degrees.

$$