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 Sat Apr 25 2026 The water temperature off Buffalo is 46 degrees.

1003 AM EDT Sat Apr 25 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

200
FZUS51 KBUF 252003
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
403 PM EDT Sat Apr 25 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.

LEZ020-260300-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
403 PM EDT Sat Apr 25 2026

.TONIGHT...Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots. A chance of rain
showers early.
.SUNDAY...Northeast winds 10 knots or less. Mostly sunny.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Northeast winds less than 10 knots. Mainly clear.
.MONDAY...Light and variable winds becoming east 5 to 10 knots.
Sunny.
.MONDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southeast.
Partly to mostly cloudy.
.TUESDAY...South winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest less
than 10 knots. Showers with a chance of thunderstorms during the
day, then showers likely Tuesday night.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds less than 10 knots becoming northwest.
Showers likely.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less. Mostly cloudy.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 46 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-260300-
Lower Niagara River-
403 PM EDT Sat Apr 25 2026

.TONIGHT...Northeast winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of rain
showers early.
.SUNDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly to mostly sunny.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Northeast winds less than 10 knots. Becoming
mainly clear.
.MONDAY...Light and variable winds becoming east 5 to 10 knots.
Sunny.
.MONDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southeast.
Partly to mostly cloudy.
.TUESDAY...South winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest. Showers
with a chance of thunderstorms during the day, then showers
likely Tuesday night.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 10 knots or less becoming northwest. A
chance of showers.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less. Mostly cloudy.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

$$

LEZ040-260300-
Ripley to Dunkirk along Lake Erie-
403 PM EDT Sat Apr 25 2026

.TONIGHT...North winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northeast. A chance
of showers early. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Mostly sunny. Waves
1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming east.
Becoming mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...East winds 10 knots or less. Sunny. Waves 1 foot or
less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southeast 15 to
20 knots. Partly to mostly cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY...South winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southwest 5 to
15 knots. Showers with a chance of thunderstorms during the day,
then showers likely Tuesday night. Waves 1 to 3 feet subsiding to
1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 10 knots or less becoming northwest.
Showers likely during the day, then a chance of showers Wednesday
night. Waves around 1 foot.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves
around 1 foot.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

$$

LEZ041-260300-
Dunkirk to Buffalo along Lake Erie-
403 PM EDT Sat Apr 25 2026

.TONIGHT...North winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northeast. A chance
of rain showers early. Waves 2 feet or less.
.SUNDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Mostly sunny. Waves
1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming east.
Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...East winds less than 10 knots. Sunny. Waves 1 foot or
less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...East winds 10 knots or less becoming south and
increasing to 15 to 20 knots overnight. Partly to mostly cloudy.
Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY...South winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southwest 5 to
15 knots. Showers with a chance of thunderstorms during the day,
then showers likely Tuesday night. Waves 1 to 3 feet subsiding to
1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds less than 10 knots becoming northwest.
Showers likely. Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less. Mostly cloudy.
Waves 1 foot or less.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

$$

LOZ042-260300-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
403 PM EDT Sat Apr 25 2026

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

.TONIGHT...Northeast winds to 30 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. Rain showers early. Waves 5 to 9 feet subsiding to 2 to
4 feet. Waves occasionally around 11 feet.
.SUNDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly to mostly sunny.
Waves 1 to 3 feet subsiding to 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...East winds 10 knots or less. 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.
Partly to mostly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.TUESDAY...Southeast winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southwest and
diminishing to 5 to 10 knots. Showers with a chance of
thunderstorms during the day, then showers Tuesday night. Waves
1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots. Showers likely. Waves 1 to
3 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest. Partly
to mostly cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

$$

LOZ043-260300-
Hamlin Beach to Sodus Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
403 PM EDT Sat Apr 25 2026

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

.TONIGHT...East winds 15 to 25 knots diminishing to 5 to
15 knots. Rain showers this evening. Waves 4 to 7 feet subsiding
to 1 to 3 feet. Waves occasionally around 9 feet.
.SUNDAY...Northeast winds less than 10 knots becoming north.
Partly to mostly sunny. Waves 2 feet or less.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Light and variable winds. 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 5 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 10 to
15 knots. Showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. Showers
likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 15 to 20 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 to
3 feet building to 2 to 4 feet.

The water temperature off Rochester is 43 degrees.

$$

LOZ044-260300-
Sodus Bay to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario-
403 PM EDT Sat Apr 25 2026

.TONIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots diminishing to less than
10 knots. Showers this evening. Waves 2 feet or less.
.SUNDAY...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming northwest.
Mostly sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Northwest 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...East winds 10 knots or less becoming southeast
10 to 15 knots. Mainly clear in the evening, then becoming partly
cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.TUESDAY...Southeast winds 15 to 20 knots becoming south 10 to
15 knots. Showers likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. Showers
likely. Waves 1 foot or less building to 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 15 to 20 knots becoming northwest. Mostly
cloudy. Waves 2 to 4 feet.

$$

LOZ045-260300-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
403 PM EDT Sat Apr 25 2026

.TONIGHT...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming northeast.
Rain showers likely early, then a chance of rain showers late
this evening. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming northwest.
Mostly sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...North 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...Light and variable winds becoming southeast 15 to
20 knots. Mainly clear in the evening, then becoming partly
cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.TUESDAY...Southeast winds 15 to 20 knots becoming south. Showers
likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 2 to 4 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest.
Showers likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest. A
chance of rain showers during the day. Waves 1 to 3 feet building
to 2 to 4 feet.

$$