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In Michigan, Black Lake is a lake used for time on and around the water. The water surface spans about 10,130 acres, making it a large body of water. Fish documented in the area include Rock Bass, Pumpkinseed, Smallmouth Bass, and Yellow Perch. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Other waters in the region include Mullett Lake, Burt Lake, and Lake Charlevoix. Current weather, wind, and activity conditions for Black Lake are updated throughout the day.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 9, 5:00 PM EDT) found no active alerts for this lake, but that check is older than LakeRadar's alert freshness window, so the current alert status could not be confirmed.
Confirm before heading out: official alerts for this area or weather.gov/alerts. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
Overall Good (77/100) across 5 activities. Best right now: Sailing (93/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 90/100 across these hours. Measured water temperature 57°F from a representative gauge 29.1 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 5 mph from the south. Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 59° | 57° | 53° | 48° | 46° | 43° | 42° | 41° | 41° | 42° | 42° | 43° | 45° | 47° | 48° | 50° | 54° | 59° | 63° | 67° | 70° | 74° | 76° | 77° |
| Wind (kts) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Direction | N | — | — | — | E | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | S | S | S | S | S |
| Gusts (kts) | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 5 PM EDT | 59°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 6 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM EDT | 57°F | Calm | 5 mph | 0% | 6% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 7 PM EDT | 53°F | Calm | 6 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Fri, 8 PM EDT | 48°F | Calm | 6 mph | 1% | 4% | Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM EDT | 46°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 8 mph | 1% | 3% | Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM EDT | 43°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 10 mph | 1% | 11% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM EDT | 42°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 13 mph | 1% | 6% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM EDT | 41°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 13 mph | 1% | 2% | Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM EDT | 41°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 13 mph | 1% | 2% | Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM EDT | 42°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 14 mph | 2% | 2% | Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM EDT | 42°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 15 mph | 2% | 4% | Clear |
| Sat, 4 AM EDT | 43°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 17 mph | 2% | 7% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 5 AM EDT | 45°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 18 mph | 3% | 23% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 6 AM EDT | 47°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 20 mph | 3% | 44% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sat, 7 AM EDT | 48°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 21 mph | 3% | 48% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sat, 8 AM EDT | 50°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 22 mph | 5% | 44% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sat, 9 AM EDT | 54°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 23 mph | 5% | 54% | Partly Sunny |
| Sat, 10 AM EDT | 59°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 23 mph | 5% | 42% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sat, 11 AM EDT | 63°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 23 mph | 4% | 42% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sat, 12 PM EDT | 67°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 4% | 48% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sat, 1 PM EDT | 70°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 4% | 23% | Sunny |
| Sat, 2 PM EDT | 74°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 0% | 11% | Sunny |
| Sat, 3 PM EDT | 76°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 0% | 5% | Sunny |
| Sat, 4 PM EDT | 77°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 0% | 4% | Sunny |
| Sat, 5 PM EDT | 78°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 0% | 5% | Sunny |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | This Afternoon October 9, 2026 | This Afternoon October 9, 2026 | Tonight October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 60° | 62° | 40° | 78° | 58° | 77° | 51° | 73° | 42° | 58° | 36° | 58° | 36° | 61° |
| Wind | NW 5 to 10 mph | N 5 mph | E 0 to 10 mph | SE 10 mph | S 10 mph | S 5 mph | S 5 mph | W 5 to 10 mph | N 5 to 10 mph | N 5 to 10 mph | N 0 to 10 mph | N 0 to 10 mph | E 5 mph | SE 5 to 15 mph |
| Gusts | 17 mph | 6 mph | 18 mph | 23 mph | 30 mph | 18 mph | 13 mph | 18 mph | 18 mph | 18 mph | 16 mph | 15 mph | 14 mph | 23 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 3% | 5% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 27% | 60% | 38% | 15% | 5% | 11% | 40% |
| Forecast |
Mackinaw City, MI · Oct 9, 1:48 PM UTC
Good for fishing (81/100), from 6 available inputs. Supporting this: Measured water temperature 57°F from a representative gauge 29.1 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 10 mph from the northwest. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend. Confidence is moderate (72%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for boating (85/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 10 mph from the northwest. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for sailing (93/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the NW is in the preferred sailing range. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Fair for kayaking (69/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the northwest. No active official alerts for this lake. Combined air and water temperature is 115°F (below the 120°F safety guideline). Thermal protection recommended for paddle craft. Confidence is high (90%).
Surface water measured at 57°F. Cold shock reflex presents an immediate drowning risk.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of MI Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Recognized as a popular outdoor hub in MI, Black Lake delivers abundant space for sailing, motorboating, and shoreline relaxation. Natural structure and depth contours create prime habitat for regional gamefish species. Safe boating operations and aquatic invasive species protocols are actively encouraged for all launched craft.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) is required for anglers age 17+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Rock Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Northern cold winter conditions with freezing air temperatures and potential surface ice formation. Ramps and water systems may be winterized. Confirm open status before visiting.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Black Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 5:21 PM EDT