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 Ontario

The reported Lake Ontario 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 Ontario 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

1003 AM EDT Sun Sep 6 2026 The water temperature off Buffalo is 74 degrees.

1003 AM EDT Sun Sep 6 2026 The water temperature off Rochester is 74 degrees.

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 Ontario off Rochester are included in the Nearshore Marine Forecast.

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

NearShore Marine Forecast

726
FZUS51 KBUF 070203
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
1003 PM EDT Sun Sep 6 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.

LEZ020-070900-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
1003 PM EDT Sun Sep 6 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...Light and variable winds. Mainly clear.
.MONDAY...Light and variable winds. Mostly sunny.
.MONDAY NIGHT...West winds less than 10 knots. Mainly clear in
the evening, then becoming partly cloudy.
.TUESDAY...Light and variable winds. Mostly sunny.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Light and variable winds becoming south 5 to
10 knots. Mostly cloudy.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest.
Showers likely.
.THURSDAY...West winds 10 knots or less becoming northwest. A
chance of showers during the day.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming south. Mainly
clear.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 74 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-070900-
Lower Niagara River-
1003 PM EDT Sun Sep 6 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...Light and variable winds. Mainly clear.
.MONDAY...Light and variable winds. Mostly sunny.
.MONDAY NIGHT...West winds less than 10 knots. Mainly clear in
the evening, then becoming partly cloudy.
.TUESDAY...Light and variable winds. Mostly sunny.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming south.
Mostly cloudy.
.WEDNESDAY...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Showers likely.
.THURSDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest less
than 10 knots. A chance of showers during the day.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming south. Mainly
clear.

$$

LEZ040-041-070900-
Buffalo to Ripley along Lake Erie-
1003 PM EDT Sun Sep 6 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...East winds 10 knots or less becoming
southeast. Mainly clear. Waves 2 feet or less.
.MONDAY...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming north. Sunny.
Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...North winds 10 knots or less becoming southeast.
Mainly clear in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy. Waves
1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY...Southeast winds less than 10 knots. Mostly sunny.
Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...East winds 10 knots or less becoming south 10 to
15 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest and
increasing to 15 to 25 knots. Showers likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet
building to 4 to 7 feet, then subsiding to 3 to 6 feet. Waves
occasionally around 9 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest 5 to
10 knots. A chance of showers during the day. Waves 2 to 4 feet
subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming south. Mainly
clear. Waves 2 feet or less.

$$

LOZ042-070900-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
1003 PM EDT Sun Sep 6 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...Light and variable winds. Mainly clear late
this evening, then becoming partly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...West winds less than 10 knots. Mostly sunny. Waves
1 foot or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...West winds less than 10 knots becoming southwest.
Partly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds less than 10 knots. Partly to mostly
sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 10 knots becoming south. Mostly
cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 25 knots. Showers likely.
Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 3 to 6 feet. Waves occasionally
around 7 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 15 to 20 knots becoming northwest 10 to
15 knots. Partly to mostly cloudy. Waves 2 to 4 feet building to
3 to 5 feet, then subsiding to 2 to 4 feet. Waves occasionally
around 6 feet.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming south. Mainly
clear. Waves 1 to 3 feet.

$$

LOZ043-070900-
Hamlin Beach to Sodus Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
1003 PM EDT Sun Sep 6 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...North winds 10 knots or less becoming
northwest. Mainly clear late this evening, then becoming partly
cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...West winds 10 knots or less becoming northwest.
Becoming mostly sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest.
Partly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY...West winds less than 10 knots. Partly to mostly sunny.
Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...East winds 10 knots or less becoming south.
Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest 15 to
20 knots. Showers likely. Waves 1 foot or less building to 3 to
5 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 15 to 20 knots becoming northwest. A
chance of showers during the day. Waves 3 to 6 feet subsiding to
2 to 4 feet. Waves occasionally around 7 feet.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south. Mainly
clear. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 foot or less.

The water temperature off Rochester is 74 degrees.

$$

LOZ044-070900-
Sodus Bay to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario-
1003 PM EDT Sun Sep 6 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...North winds 10 knots or less becoming
northwest. Mainly clear. Waves 2 feet or less.
.MONDAY...West winds 10 knots or less. Sunny. Waves 1 foot or
less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves
2 feet or less.
.TUESDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming north.
Mostly sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming south.
Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest 15 to
20 knots. Showers. Waves 2 feet or less building to 3 to 6 feet.
Waves occasionally around 7 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest. A
chance of showers during the day. Waves 3 to 6 feet building to
4 to 7 feet, then subsiding to 3 to 5 feet. Waves occasionally
around 9 feet.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south. Mainly
clear. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 to 2 feet.

$$

LOZ045-070900-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
1003 PM EDT Sun Sep 6 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...North winds 10 knots or less becoming
northwest. Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...West winds 10 knots or less increasing to 10 to
15 knots. Sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly to mostly
cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.TUESDAY...North winds less than 10 knots becoming west. Partly
sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Light and variable winds becoming south 10 to
15 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 15 to 25 knots becoming southwest.
Showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 3 to 6 feet. Waves
occasionally around 7 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest. A
chance of showers during the day. Waves 3 to 6 feet building to
4 to 7 feet, then subsiding to 3 to 5 feet. Waves occasionally
around 9 feet.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south. Mainly
clear. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.

$$