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

1013 AM EDT Tue Apr 7 2026 The water temperature off Buffalo is 33 degrees.

1013 AM EDT Tue Apr 7 2026 The water temperature off Rochester is 40 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

742
FZUS51 KBUF 080303
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
1103 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 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.

LEZ020-080915-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
1103 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 2026

.OVERNIGHT...South winds less than 10 knots becoming east.
Mainly clear.
.WEDNESDAY...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming south.
Sunny.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...South winds 10 knots or less increasing to
10 to 15 knots. Mainly clear in the evening, then becoming partly
cloudy.
.THURSDAY...South winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southwest 10 to
15 knots. A chance of showers in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming north
less than 10 knots. A chance of showers.
.FRIDAY...North winds 5 to 10 knots becoming light and variable.
Rain showers.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds less than 10 knots. Mainly clear.
.SUNDAY...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest. A
chance of rain showers Sunday night.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 33 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-080915-
Lower Niagara River-
1103 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 2026

.OVERNIGHT...Light and variable winds. Mainly clear.
.WEDNESDAY...Southeast winds 10 knots or less. Sunny.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming
south 10 to 15 knots. Mainly clear in the evening, then becoming
partly cloudy.
.THURSDAY...South winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest 15 to
20 knots. A chance of showers in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming north
less than 10 knots. A chance of showers.
.FRIDAY...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming northwest.
Rain showers.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds less than 10 knots. Mainly clear.
.SUNDAY...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest
10 to 15 knots. A chance of rain showers.

$$

LEZ040-041-080915-
Buffalo to Ripley along Lake Erie-
1103 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 2026

.OVERNIGHT...South winds less than 10 knots becoming southeast.
Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming northeast.
Sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south
15 to 20 knots. Mainly clear in the evening, then becoming partly
cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...South winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southwest 10 to
15 knots. A chance of showers in the afternoon. Waves 2 to 4 feet
subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south
less than 10 knots. A chance of rain showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet
subsiding to 1 foot or less.
.FRIDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots becoming light and variable.
Rain showers likely. Waves 2 feet or less.
.SATURDAY...North winds less than 10 knots. Becoming mainly
clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest and
increasing to 15 to 20 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less
building to 1 to 3 feet.

$$

LOZ042-080915-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
1103 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 2026

.OVERNIGHT...North winds 10 knots or less becoming east. Mainly
clear. Waves 1 to 3 feet subsiding to 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming east 10 to
15 knots. Sunny. Waves 2 feet or less.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south 15 to
20 knots. Mainly clear in the evening, then becoming partly
cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...South winds 15 to 25 knots becoming southwest. A
chance of showers in the afternoon. Waves 2 to 4 feet building to
3 to 5 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots becoming
northwest and diminishing to 5 to 10 knots. A chance of rain
showers. Waves 3 to 5 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet. Waves
occasionally around 6 feet.
.FRIDAY...North winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. Rain
showers. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming southeast.
Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southwest and
increasing to 15 to 20 knots. A chance of rain showers. Waves
2 feet or less building to 2 to 4 feet.

$$

LOZ043-044-080915-
Hamlin Beach to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
1103 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 2026

.OVERNIGHT...West winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 5 to 15
knots. Mainly clear. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 to 2 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Southwest winds 10 knots or less becoming east 10 to
15 knots. Sunny. Waves 2 feet or less.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots becoming south
and increasing to 15 to 25 knots. Mainly clear. Waves 1 to 3 feet
building to 2 to 4 feet.
.THURSDAY...South winds 15 to 25 knots. A chance of rain showers
in the afternoon. Waves 2 to 4 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...South winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southwest
5 to 15 knots. A chance of showers in the evening. Waves 1 to
3 feet.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Rain showers likely.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming south.
Becoming mainly clear. Waves 2 feet or less.
.SUNDAY...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming south and
increasing to 15 to 25 knots. A chance of rain showers Sunday
night. Waves 2 feet or less building to 2 to 4 feet.

The water temperature off Rochester is 40 degrees.

$$

LOZ045-080915-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
1103 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 2026

.OVERNIGHT...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest. Partly
cloudy. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 10 knots or less. Sunny. Waves 2 feet or
less.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming south
and increasing to 30 knots overnight. Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot
or less building to 3 to 6 feet. Waves occasionally around
7 feet.
.THURSDAY...South winds to 30 knots diminishing to 15 to
25 knots. A chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Waves 3 to
6 feet. Waves occasionally around 7 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...South winds 15 to 25 knots diminishing to 5 to
10 knots. A chance of rain showers in the evening. Waves 3 to
5 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet. Waves occasionally around
6 feet.
.FRIDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. Rain
showers likely. Waves 2 feet or less.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming southeast.
Becoming mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots increasing to 15 to 25 knots.
A chance of rain showers Sunday night. Waves 1 foot or less
building to 3 to 6 feet. Waves occasionally around 7 feet.

$$