Lake Superior water temperature today
Across 12 reporting buoys, the water ranges from 47°F at Ontonagon, MI to 56°F at Wisconsin Point.
Latest readings from the 12 NOAA buoys on Lake Superior: water temperature, wind and waves. Sorted with the long-running offshore buoys first.
| Buoy | Water | Wind | Waves | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MID SUPERIOR- 60 NM North Northeast HancNDBC 45001 · 48.06°N 87.79°W | 48°F 9°C | WSW 23 kt | 6 ft @ 6s | Oct 17, 12:50 UTC |
| West SuperiorNDBC 45006 · 47.34°N 89.79°W | 49°F 10°C | SW 19 kt | 6 ft @ 6s | Oct 17, 12:50 UTC |
| North Entry Buoy, North Keweenaw PeninsuNDBC 45023 · 47.27°N 88.61°W | 53°F 11°C | S 10 kt | 1 ft | Oct 15, 12:40 UTC |
| South Entry Buoy, South Keweenaw PeninsuNDBC 45025 · 46.97°N 88.40°W | 55°F 13°C | WNW 6 kt | 0 ft | Oct 14, 17:00 UTC |
| McQuade Harbor Nearshore, MNNDBC 45027 · 46.86°N 91.93°W | 52°F 11°C | SSW 4 kt | 1 ft @ 8s | Oct 13, 20:30 UTC |
| Western Lake SuperiorNDBC 45028 · 46.81°N 91.83°W | 54°F 12°C | SW 6 kt | 3 ft @ 8s | Oct 13, 20:20 UTC |
| Slate IslandNDBC 45136 · 48.54°N 86.95°W | 48°F 9°C | WSW 21 kt | 6 ft @ 5s | Oct 17, 13:00 UTC |
| East Superior SpotterNDBC 45213 · 47.59°N 86.59°W | 51°F 10°C | – | 5 ft @ 6s | Oct 17, 12:20 UTC |
| Ontonagon, MINDBC 45216 · 46.91°N 89.35°W | 47°F 8°C | SSE 2 kt | 0 ft | Oct 15, 18:40 UTC |
| Wisconsin PointNDBC 45217 · 46.71°N 92.00°W | 56°F 13°C | – | – | Oct 13, 20:15 UTC |
| Whitefish BayNDBC 4403587 · 46.55°N 84.77°W | 56°F 13°C | SSW 16 kt | 2 ft @ 3s | Oct 17, 12:20 UTC |
| Grand Island North, MINDBC 45211 · 46.97°N 86.57°W | 51°F 11°C | – | 4 ft @ 4s | Oct 17, 12:56 UTC |
See where the warm and cold water actually sits between these buoys, and where the temperature breaks and color changes are, on the satellite chart for Lake Superior.
FAQ
Where does this water temperature come from?
From NOAA's National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). Each buoy measures the water temperature near the surface, usually about a meter down, and reports roughly every hour. We pull the latest reading for every buoy off Lake Superior.
How often does this page update?
Every time you load it. Readings come straight from NOAA and are at most about 30 minutes behind what NOAA has published.
Why is the buoy temperature different from the satellite chart?
A buoy measures one spot a meter or so below the surface. A satellite measures the skin of the water over a wide area. On calm, sunny afternoons the skin can read warmer than the water below it. More in our guide to ground-truthing SST with buoys.
Related: How to use buoy data to ground-truth satellite SST · Ideal water temperatures for pelagic fish