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

1002 AM EDT Wed May 21 2025 The water temperature off Buffalo is 53 degrees.

1002 AM EDT Wed May 21 2025 The water temperature off Rochester is 50 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

412
FZUS51 KBUF 220202
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
1002 PM EDT Wed May 21 2025

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.

LEZ020-220900-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
1002 PM EDT Wed May 21 2025

.OVERNIGHT...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Rain.
.THURSDAY...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southwest.
Rain.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west.
Rain likely in the evening, then showers likely overnight.
.FRIDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Showers.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Showers in the evening,
then a chance of showers overnight.
.SATURDAY...West winds 10 knots or less. A chance of showers.
.SUNDAY...West winds less than 10 knots. Partly cloudy.
.MONDAY...Light and variable winds. A chance of showers Monday
night.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 53 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-220900-
Lower Niagara River-
1002 PM EDT Wed May 21 2025

.OVERNIGHT...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Rain.
.THURSDAY...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming south. Rain.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...South winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northeast.
Rain likely in the evening, then showers likely overnight.
.FRIDAY...North winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west. Showers.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Showers in the evening,
then a chance of showers overnight.
.SATURDAY...West winds 10 knots or less. A chance of showers
during the day.
.SUNDAY...West winds less than 10 knots. Partly cloudy.
.MONDAY...West winds less than 10 knots becoming northeast. A
chance of showers Monday night.

$$

LEZ040-220900-
Ripley to Dunkirk along Lake Erie-
1002 PM EDT Wed May 21 2025

.OVERNIGHT...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots becoming south.
Rain. Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots. Rain likely. Waves
1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west.
Rain likely in the evening, then showers likely overnight. Waves
2 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. Showers likely. Waves 2 to
4 feet.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 to 15 knots. Showers likely in the
evening, then a chance of showers overnight. Waves 2 to 4 feet.
.SATURDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of showers. Waves
1 to 2 feet.
.SUNDAY...West winds 10 knots or less. Partly cloudy. Waves
1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...West winds 10 knots or less becoming east. A chance of
showers Monday night. Waves 1 foot or less.

$$

LEZ041-220900-
Dunkirk to Buffalo along Lake Erie-
1002 PM EDT Wed May 21 2025

.OVERNIGHT...Southeast winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south.
Rain. Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...South winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest. Rain.
Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west.
Rain likely in the evening, then showers likely overnight. Waves
1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. Showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...West winds 5 to 15 knots. Showers in the evening,
then a chance of showers overnight. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.SATURDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of showers. Waves
2 feet or less.
.SUNDAY...West winds 10 knots or less. Partly cloudy. Waves
1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...West winds less than 10 knots becoming east. A chance
of showers Monday night. Waves 1 foot or less.

$$

LOZ042-220900-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
1002 PM EDT Wed May 21 2025

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...

.OVERNIGHT...East winds 15 to 25 knots. Rain. Waves 3 to
6 feet. Waves occasionally around 7 feet.
.THURSDAY...East winds 15 to 20 knots. Rain. Waves 3 to 5 feet
subsiding to 2 to 4 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...East winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. Rain in the evening, then showers likely overnight.
Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...East winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west. Showers. Waves
1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...West winds around 10 knots. Showers in the
evening, then a chance of showers overnight. Waves 1 to 2 feet.
.SATURDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of showers. Waves
1 to 2 feet.
.SUNDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 2 feet
or less.
.MONDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming east. Partly to
mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.

$$

LOZ043-220900-
Hamlin Beach to Sodus Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
1002 PM EDT Wed May 21 2025

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...

.OVERNIGHT...East winds 15 to 20 knots. Rain. Waves 3 to
6 feet. Waves occasionally around 7 feet.
.THURSDAY...East winds 15 to 20 knots. Rain. Waves 3 to 5 feet
subsiding to 2 to 4 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...East winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 5 to
15 knots. Rain in the evening, then showers likely overnight.
Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...East winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. Showers.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Showers. Waves 1 to
2 feet.
.SATURDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of showers. Waves
1 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 2 feet
or less.
.MONDAY...West winds 10 knots or less becoming southeast. Partly
to mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.

The water temperature off Rochester is 50 degrees.

$$

LOZ045-220900-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
1002 PM EDT Wed May 21 2025

.OVERNIGHT...East winds 15 to 20 knots. Rain. Waves 1 to
3 feet.
.THURSDAY...East winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. Rain. Waves 1 to 3 feet subsiding to 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots. Rain likely in the
evening, then showers likely overnight. Waves 1 foot or less.
.FRIDAY...East winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. A chance
of showers in the morning, then showers likely in the afternoon.
Waves 1 foot or less.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Showers likely.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of showers.
Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY...West winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest. A
chance of showers during the day. Waves 2 feet or less.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 10 knots or less becoming southeast. A
chance of showers. Waves 1 foot or less.

$$

LOZ044-220900-
Sodus Bay to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario-
1002 PM EDT Wed May 21 2025

.OVERNIGHT...East winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southeast.
Rain. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 2 to 4 feet.
.THURSDAY...Southeast winds 15 to 20 knots becoming east 10 to
15 knots. Rain. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots. Rain likely in the
evening, then showers likely overnight. Waves 2 feet or less.
.FRIDAY...East winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. A chance
of showers in the morning, then showers likely in the afternoon.
Waves 1 foot or less.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...West winds around 10 knots becoming northwest.
Showers likely. Waves 1 to 2 feet.
.SATURDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of showers. Waves
2 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots. A chance of showers during
the day. Waves 1 to 2 feet.
.MONDAY...West winds 10 knots or less becoming southeast. Partly
to mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.

$$