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 Tue May 26 2026 The water temperature off Buffalo is 55 degrees.

1002 AM EDT Tue May 26 2026 The water temperature off Rochester is 43 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

445
FZUS51 KBUF 270204
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
1004 PM EDT Tue May 26 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.

LEZ020-270900-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
1004 PM EDT Tue May 26 2026

.OVERNIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Mostly cloudy.
.WEDNESDAY...Southwest winds less than 10 knots. Partly to mostly
sunny.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Light and variable winds. Partly cloudy.
.THURSDAY...North winds 10 knots or less. Becoming mostly sunny.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...North winds less than 10 knots. Mainly clear in
the evening, then becoming partly cloudy.
.FRIDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest. Partly
cloudy.
.SATURDAY...North winds 5 to 10 knots becoming light and
variable. Mainly clear.
.SUNDAY...Northwest winds less than 10 knots. Partly cloudy.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 55 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-270900-
Lower Niagara River-
1004 PM EDT Tue May 26 2026

.OVERNIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Mostly cloudy.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 10 knots or less becoming north. Partly
to mostly sunny.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...North winds less than 10 knots. Partly cloudy.
.THURSDAY...North winds 10 knots or less. Becoming mostly sunny.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds less than 10 knots. Mainly
clear in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy.
.FRIDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest. Partly
cloudy.
.SATURDAY...North winds 5 to 10 knots becoming light and
variable. Mainly clear.
.SUNDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less. Partly cloudy.

$$

LEZ040-041-270900-
Buffalo to Ripley along Lake Erie-
1004 PM EDT Tue May 26 2026

.OVERNIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west.
Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...Southwest winds 10 knots or less becoming west.
Partly sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...West winds less than 10 knots becoming north.
Partly to mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...North winds 5 to 10 knots. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 foot
or less.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...North winds less than 10 knots. Mainly clear.
Waves 1 foot or less.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest.
Mainly clear, then becoming partly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.SATURDAY...North winds 10 knots or less becoming northeast.
Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY...North winds less than 10 knots becoming west. Partly
cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.

$$

LOZ042-270900-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
1004 PM EDT Tue May 26 2026

.OVERNIGHT...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Mostly cloudy.
Waves 1 to 2 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots. Partly sunny in the
morning, then becoming mostly sunny. Waves 2 feet or less.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming north.
Partly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.THURSDAY...North winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest.
Becoming mostly sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 knots or less. Partly cloudy.
Waves 1 foot or less.
.FRIDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest 10 to
15 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.SATURDAY...North winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest 10 knots
or less. Mainly clear. Waves 1 to 3 feet subsiding to 1 foot or
less.
.SUNDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. Partly
cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.

$$

LOZ043-044-270900-
Hamlin Beach to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
1004 PM EDT Tue May 26 2026

.OVERNIGHT...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Mostly cloudy.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots. Partly to mostly sunny.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming north.
Mostly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.THURSDAY...North winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. Mostly
sunny. Waves 1 to 2 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west.
Partly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.FRIDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest. A chance
of showers Friday night. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 2 to
4 feet.
.SATURDAY...North winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest. A
chance of showers during the day. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to
1 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west. Partly
cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.

The water temperature off Rochester is 43 degrees.

$$

LOZ045-270900-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
1004 PM EDT Tue May 26 2026

.OVERNIGHT...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming south.
Mostly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots diminishing to 10 knots or
less. Partly sunny in the morning, then becoming mostly sunny.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 knots or less becoming north.
Partly to mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...North winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest. Sunny.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 10 knots or less. Partly to
mostly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.FRIDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest. A chance
of showers Friday night. Waves 1 foot or less building to 2 to
4 feet.
.SATURDAY...North winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of showers during
the day. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 1 foot
or less.

$$