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

133
FZUS51 KBUF 080811
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
411 AM EDT Wed Apr 8 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.

LEZ020-081500-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
411 AM EDT Wed Apr 8 2026

.TODAY...Southeast winds less than 10 knots becoming south.
Sunny.
.TONIGHT...South winds 10 knots or less increasing to 10 to
15 knots. Mainly clear in the evening, then becoming partly
cloudy.
.THURSDAY...South winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest. Partly
to mostly sunny.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming
northwest less than 10 knots. A chance of showers.
.FRIDAY...North winds less than 10 knots. Rain showers.
.SATURDAY...Light and variable winds. Mainly clear.
.SUNDAY...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest.
Mostly cloudy.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 33 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-081500-
Lower Niagara River-
411 AM EDT Wed Apr 8 2026

.TODAY...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming south. Sunny.
.TONIGHT...Southeast winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south. Mainly
clear in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy.
.THURSDAY...South winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest. 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 less than 10 knots. Rain showers.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds less than 10 knots. Mainly clear.
.SUNDAY...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest
10 to 15 knots. Mostly cloudy.

$$

LEZ040-041-081500-
Buffalo to Ripley along Lake Erie-
411 AM EDT Wed Apr 8 2026

.TODAY...East winds 5 to 10 knots becoming north. Sunny. Waves
1 foot or less.
.TONIGHT...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 1 to
3 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 10 knots or less. A chance of
rain showers. Waves 2 feet or less.
.FRIDAY...South winds less than 10 knots. Rain showers. Waves
1 foot or less.
.SATURDAY...Light and variable winds. Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot
or less.
.SUNDAY...Southeast winds 10 knots or less becoming south and
increasing to 15 to 20 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less
building to 1 to 3 feet.

$$

LOZ042-081500-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
411 AM EDT Wed Apr 8 2026

.TODAY...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming east and
increasing to 15 to 20 knots. Sunny. Waves 2 feet or less
building to 2 to 4 feet.
.TONIGHT...East winds 10 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. A
chance of showers in the afternoon. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to
2 to 4 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots becoming
northwest 5 to 15 knots. A chance of rain showers. Waves 2 to
4 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...North winds 10 knots or less 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 15 knots becoming southwest 15 to
20 knots. A chance of rain showers Sunday night. Waves 2 feet or
less building to 2 to 4 feet.

$$

LOZ043-044-081500-
Hamlin Beach to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
411 AM EDT Wed Apr 8 2026

.TODAY...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming east and
increasing to 15 to 20 knots. Sunny. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TONIGHT...East winds 15 to 20 knots becoming south. Mainly
clear. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...South winds 15 to 20 knots. Partly to mostly sunny.
Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...South winds 15 to 20 knots becoming west 5 to
15 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less. Rain showers. Waves
1 foot or less.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming south.
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.

$$

LOZ045-081500-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
411 AM EDT Wed Apr 8 2026

.TODAY...Southwest winds 10 knots or less. Sunny. Waves 2 feet or
less.
.TONIGHT...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming south and
increasing to 15 to 25 knots overnight. Mainly clear. Waves
2 feet or less building to 3 to 5 feet. Waves occasionally around
6 feet.
.THURSDAY...South winds 15 to 25 knots. Mostly sunny. Waves 3 to
5 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...South winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southwest
and diminishing to 5 to 10 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 2 to
4 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...South winds 10 knots or less becoming northwest. Rain
showers likely. Waves 2 feet or less.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming south.
Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot 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 1 foot or less building to 3 to 6 feet. Waves
occasionally around 7 feet.

$$