Chicago Area Waves & Water Conditions
Seagull (Wind Speed and Direction)
Wilmette Harbor to Northerly Island (Nearshore Wave Forecast)
Geographic Plot (Wind & Waves Forecast)
Illinois & Indiana Lake Michigan Zones (Nearshore Wave Forecast)
New Buffalo to St. Joseph (Nearshore Wave Forecast)
Magic Seaweed (North Avenue Beach Surf Report)
Buoyweather (Chicago near shore)
Lake Michigan Waves & Water Conditions
Open Waters (West Half of Southern Lake Michigan)
Open Waters (East Half of Southern Lake Michigan)
Ship Weather Reports (Lake Michigan)
Sheboygan to Pentwater South (Open Waters Wave Forecast)
Entire Lake Michigan (Open Waters)
NOAA Animated GIF Wave Forecast (GLCFS)
Open Water Zones (Lake Michigan)
Near Shore Zones (SW Lake Michigan)
Near Shore Zones (SE Lake Michigan)
Near Shore Zones (W Lake Michigan)
Near Shore Zones (NW Lake Michigan)
Near Shore Zones (E Lake Michigan)
Near Shore Zones (NE Lake Michigan)
Lake Michigan Water Temperature & Levels
Southern Lake Michigan (Water Temperatures)
Seagull (Water Temperatures)
Lake Michigan (Water Temperatures)
Lake Michigan Water Levels (Water Levels)
US Army Corps of Engineers Water Level Forecast (All Great Lakes)
US Army Corps of Engineers Water Level Forecast (Michigan-Huron)
US Army Corps of Engineers Historical + Forecast (Michigan-Huron)
NOAA Buoys
Chicago Buoy – FINALLY! (45198)
Wilmette Buoy (on steroids version)
Wilmette Buoy (45174)
Wilmette Buoy (Live Video)
Waukegan Buoy (45186)
Winthrop Harbor Buoy (45187)
Michigan City Buoy (45170)
Cook Nuclear/Sawyer, MI Buoy (45026)
South Haven Buoy (45168)
South Haven Buoy (Live Video)
Middle of Southern Lake Michigan Buoy (45007)
Holland Buoy (45029)
Wind
SailFlow Chicago Observations (Current)
SailFlow Chicago (Forecast)
PredictWind – login required (Chicago Forecast)
Windy Animated Wind Forecast (Lake Michigan)
Windfinder (Southern Lake Michigan Buoy)
Radar/Satellite
COD Animated Satellite (Midwest)
AccuWeather Doppler (Chicago)
Intellicast Current Radar (Chicago)
AccuWeather Visible Satellite (Illinois)
TWC Radar/Satellite (Chicago)
NWS Radar (Northern IL)
ABC 7 Doppler (Chicago)
Local Forecasts
WGN Weather
NWS 7-Day Forecast (Chicago)
Ventusky (Chicago)
Weather Underground (Loop Station)
AccuWeather (Lincoln Park)
NWS Climatological Report (Chicago)
WGN (Weather Blog)
NWS Scientific Discussion (Chicago Area)
NWS 6-14 Day Discussions (Chicago Area)
*I take no responsibility for those who make bad decisions using (or not using) the data from these links. With 30+ years of boating on Lake Michigan, I can assure you if your gut feels it’d be dangerous to leave the dock, it probably is, so trust it and appreciate land for what it offers–you can always go boating tomorrow.