Loading page content…
Loading page content…
Loading lake conditions…
Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Crab Orchard Lake (Illinois). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 83°F · Low 57°F
Peak gusts: 8 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 50% · Barometer: 30.07 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Crab Orchard Lake.
Excellent for boating (99/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 1 mph from the southwest. Gusts to 7 mph. 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 fishing (90/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 1 mph from the southwest. 2% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for kayaking (98/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 1 mph from the southwest. Gusts to 7 mph. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 1 mph from the southwest. Working against it: Air temperature 58°F. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 AM | 58°F | 1 mph | SW | ⚡ 7 mph | 2% | Partly Cloudy |
| 6 AM | 58°F | 1 mph | NW | ⚡ 7 mph | 1% | Mostly Sunny |
| 7 AM | 57°F | 2 mph | NW | ⚡ 6 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 8 AM | 59°F | 3 mph | NW | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 9 AM | 60°F | 3 mph | NW | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 10 AM | 65°F | 3 mph | NW | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 11 AM | 70°F | 3 mph | NW | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 12 PM | 74°F | 5 mph | NW | ⚡ 9 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 1 PM | 78°F | 5 mph | NW | ⚡ 9 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 2 PM | 80°F | 5 mph | NW | ⚡ 9 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 3 PM | 81°F | 5 mph | NW | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 4 PM | 83°F | 3 mph | NW | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 5 PM | 81°F | 3 mph | W | ⚡ 6 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 6 PM | 79°F | 1 mph | SW | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 7 PM | 75°F | 1 mph | S | ⚡ 2 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 8 PM | 71°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 9 PM | 69°F | 1 mph | S | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 10 PM | 68°F | 2 mph | S | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 11 PM | 67°F | 2 mph | S | ⚡ 6 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 12 AM | 66°F | 2 mph | SW | ⚡ 6 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 1 AM | 66°F | 2 mph | SW | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 2 AM | 67°F | 2 mph | SW | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 3 AM | 66°F | 3 mph | SW | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 4 AM | 64°F | 3 mph | SW | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
Mirror-like to gentle rippled water. Optimal conditions for paddleboarding, kayaking, swimming, and beginner water skiing or wakeboarding.
Pleasant breeze with small wavelets. Great for sailing, pleasure cruising, pontoon boats, and trolling for trout and bass.
Moderate waves with whitecaps likely. Requires skilled boat handling; kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards should stay close to sheltered bays.
Steep waves, cold spray, and hazardous open water. Avoid small craft voyages. Always check official National Weather Service lake wind advisories.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Southwest wind around 1 mph.
Sunny. High near 83, with temperatures falling to around 81 in the afternoon. West northwest wind 1 to 5 mph.
Mostly clear. Low around 62, with temperatures rising to around 64 overnight. South southwest wind 0 to 3 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 88. Southwest wind 3 to 10 mph.
Clear, with a low around 68. South southwest wind around 8 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 90. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 70. South southwest wind around 6 mph.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms between 7am and 1pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. West southwest wind 2 to 6 mph.
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. North northeast wind around 5 mph.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Southeast wind 6 to 9 mph.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. West southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Northwest wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. North northwest wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. North wind 8 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Crab Orchard Lake currently reports 72°F with wind velocity near 5 mph from the E. Atmospheric forecasts and 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines are updated hourly from the National Weather Service gridpoint matching the lake's coordinates.
At Crab Orchard Lake and surrounding mountain valleys, diurnal heating of the surrounding terrain causes strong thermal pressure differentials known locally as afternoon breezes (such as the Washoe Zephyr at Lake Tahoe). Wind speeds typically peak between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM before calming near sunset.
For stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), canoeing, and light kayaks, winds under 7 mph (light breeze) offer the safest, glassiest surface conditions. Between 8–14 mph, small wavelets develop, suitable for sailboats and powerboats. Winds exceeding 15 mph create steep whitecaps and rapid drift; winds over 21 mph warrant small craft warnings.
All weather and wind telemetry is fetched directly from the National Weather Service (NOAA - WFO PAH) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Crab Orchard Lake without artificial smoothing or third-party estimates.
Yes. Live hydrological sensor readings, 30-day elevation histories, full-pool benchmarks, and USGS station provenance are available on our dedicated Crab Orchard Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Crab Orchard Lake Water Level & Temperature →