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 Apr 26 2026 The water temperature off Buffalo is 45 degrees.

1003 AM EDT Sun Apr 26 2026 The water temperature off Rochester is 42 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

653
FZUS51 KBUF 270203
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
1003 PM EDT Sun Apr 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-
1003 PM EDT Sun Apr 26 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...Light and variable winds. Becoming mainly
clear.
.MONDAY...Light and variable winds becoming southeast 5 to
10 knots. Sunny.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south.
Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly cloudy.
.TUESDAY...South winds 10 to 15 knots. Showers.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west less
than 10 knots. A chance of showers in the evening.
.WEDNESDAY...North winds 10 knots or less becoming northwest.
Showers likely.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 45 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-270900-
Lower Niagara River-
1003 PM EDT Sun Apr 26 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...Light and variable winds. Partly cloudy.
.MONDAY...Light and variable winds becoming east 5 to 10 knots.
Sunny.
.MONDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 10 knots becoming south. Partly
cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly cloudy.
.TUESDAY...South winds 10 to 15 knots. Showers.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest
less than 10 knots. A chance of showers in the evening.
.WEDNESDAY...North winds 10 knots or less becoming northwest.
Showers likely.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy.

$$

LEZ040-270900-
Ripley to Dunkirk along Lake Erie-
1003 PM EDT Sun Apr 26 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming
east. Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...East winds 10 knots or less becoming northeast. Sunny.
Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south 15 to
20 knots. A chance of showers overnight. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY...South winds 15 to 20 knots. Showers likely with a
chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then showers likely in
the afternoon. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots diminishing to
less than 10 knots. A chance of showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...North winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest.
Showers likely. Waves around 1 foot.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves
1 to 2 feet.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots. Partly to mostly cloudy.
Waves 1 to 2 feet.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

$$

LEZ041-270900-
Dunkirk to Buffalo along Lake Erie-
1003 PM EDT Sun Apr 26 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...East winds less than 10 knots. Mainly clear.
Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...Light and variable winds. Sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south
15 to 20 knots. Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
mostly cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY...South winds 15 to 20 knots. Showers likely. Waves 1 to
3 feet.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots diminishing to
less than 10 knots. A chance of showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet
subsiding to 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...North winds 10 knots or less becoming northwest.
Rain showers likely. Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves
1 foot or less.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly to mostly cloudy.
Waves 1 foot or less.

$$

LOZ042-270900-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
1003 PM EDT Sun Apr 26 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...East winds less than 10 knots. Partly cloudy.
Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...East winds 10 knots or less increasing to 10 to
15 knots. Sunny. Waves 2 feet or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...East winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southeast
15 to 20 knots. Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
mostly cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY...Southeast winds 15 to 20 knots becoming south.
Showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots becoming
northwest 5 to 15 knots. Showers likely in the evening, then a
chance of showers overnight. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...North winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest.
Showers likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of rain
showers during the day. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 2 to
4 feet.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots. A chance of rain
showers. Waves 2 to 4 feet.

$$

LOZ043-270900-
Hamlin Beach to Sodus Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
1003 PM EDT Sun Apr 26 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...Light and variable winds. Mainly clear late
this evening, then becoming partly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...Light and variable winds becoming east 5 to 10 knots.
Sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...East winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southeast
15 to 20 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY...Southeast winds 15 to 20 knots becoming south. Showers
likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...South winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southwest
5 to 15 knots. Showers likely in the evening, then a chance of
showers overnight. Waves 1 to 3 feet subsiding to 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest 15 to
20 knots. Showers likely. Waves 2 feet or less building to 2 to
3 feet.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots. A chance of rain
showers during the day. Waves 2 to 4 feet building to 3 to
5 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 15 to 25 knots. A chance of rain
showers. Waves 3 to 6 feet. Waves occasionally around 7 feet.

The water temperature off Rochester is 42 degrees.

$$

LOZ044-270900-
Sodus Bay to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario-
1003 PM EDT Sun Apr 26 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...Light and variable winds. Mainly clear. Waves
1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...Light and variable winds. Sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming
southeast and increasing to 15 to 20 knots overnight. Mainly
clear in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy. Waves 2 feet
or less.
.TUESDAY...Southeast winds 15 to 20 knots becoming south. A
chance of showers in the morning, then showers likely in the
afternoon. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...South winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southwest
10 to 15 knots. Showers likely in the evening, then a chance of
showers overnight. Waves 1 to 3 feet subsiding to 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. Showers
likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots increasing to 15 to
20 knots. Showers likely during the day. Waves 2 to 4 feet
building to 3 to 5 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 15 to 25 knots. A chance of rain
showers. Waves 3 to 6 feet building to 4 to 7 feet, then
subsiding to 3 to 6 feet. Waves occasionally around 9 feet.

$$

LOZ045-270900-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
1003 PM EDT Sun Apr 26 2026

.REST OF TONIGHT...Light and variable winds. Mainly clear. Waves
1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...Light and variable winds. Sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming
southeast and increasing to 15 to 20 knots overnight. Mainly
clear in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy. Waves 1 to
3 feet.
.TUESDAY...Southeast winds 15 to 20 knots becoming south. A
chance of showers in the afternoon. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to
2 to 4 feet.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...South winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. A chance of showers. Waves 3 to 5 feet subsiding to
1 to 3 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. Showers
likely. Waves 2 feet or less.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots increasing to 15 to
20 knots. Rain showers likely during the day, then a chance of
rain showers Thursday night. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 2 to
4 feet.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 15 to 25 knots. A chance of rain
showers. Waves 3 to 6 feet. Waves occasionally around 7 feet.

$$