Lake Erie Water Temperature
Live surface water temperature at every Lake Erie port, plus the daily NOAA satellite map of the whole lake.
Updated Aug 16, 8:47 PM ET · Source: NOAA buoys & NOAA GLERL CoastWatch
Water temperature by port
Lake-wide surface temperature map
NOAA's daily satellite surface-water-temperature analysis (GLSEA) for the Great Lakes. Lake Erie is the southernmost lake — you can see the warm, shallow western basin and the cooler, deep eastern basin at a glance. It updates once a day, so pair it with the live buoy readings above for the current number at your port.
Source: NOAA GLERL CoastWatch (GLSEA)
Lake Erie water temperature, explained
What is the Lake Erie water temperature today?
Right now Lake Erie's surface water temperature ranges from about 77°F in the deep eastern basin (Huron) to 78°F in the shallow western basin (Toledo), measured live from NOAA NDBC buoys. The western basin is generally the warmest and the deep eastern basin the coldest.
Where is Lake Erie the warmest?
The shallow western basin — Toledo, Port Clinton, and the Lake Erie Islands — warms first and usually holds the warmest water. The deep eastern basin around Ashtabula, Conneaut, and Erie, PA stays the coldest.
Why does the water temperature drop suddenly on a summer day?
A hard north or northeast wind can push warm surface water offshore and pull cold water up from the depths (an upwelling), dropping the nearshore temperature 10°F or more in a day, especially in the central basin off Lorain and Vermilion.
Where does this water temperature data come from?
Live point temperatures come directly from NOAA NDBC buoys near each port. The lake-wide map is NOAA GLERL CoastWatch's GLSEA daily satellite surface-temperature analysis.
Looking for waves, wind, and the marine forecast too? See full Lake Erie conditions →