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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Detroit Lake (Minnesota). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 70°F · Low 54°F
Peak gusts: 31 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 53% · Barometer: 30.16 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Detroit Lake.
Fair for boating (71/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. 1% chance of precipitation. 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.
Good for fishing (76/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: 1% chance of precipitation. Sky is partly cloudy (25% cloud cover). 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.
Fair for kayaking (70/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. 1% chance of precipitation. 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. 1% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Air temperature 54°F. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 AM | 54°F | 15 mph | SE | ⚡ 27 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 12 PM | 57°F | 17 mph | S | ⚡ 28 mph | 2% | Sunny |
| 1 PM | 60°F | 17 mph | S | ⚡ 28 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 2 PM | 64°F | 17 mph | S | ⚡ 28 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 3 PM | 68°F | 17 mph | S | ⚡ 28 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 4 PM | 70°F | 17 mph | S | ⚡ 27 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 5 PM | 69°F | 16 mph | S | ⚡ 27 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 6 PM | 67°F | 16 mph | S | ⚡ 27 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 7 PM | 63°F | 17 mph | SE | ⚡ 27 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 8 PM | 62°F | 18 mph | SE | ⚡ 28 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 9 PM | 60°F | 18 mph | SE | ⚡ 29 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 10 PM | 60°F | 18 mph | S | ⚡ 29 mph | 1% | Partly Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 60°F | 18 mph | S | ⚡ 29 mph | 1% | Partly Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 59°F | 17 mph | S | ⚡ 28 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 1 AM | 59°F | 17 mph | S | ⚡ 28 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 2 AM | 59°F | 17 mph | S | ⚡ 28 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 3 AM | 59°F | 17 mph | S | ⚡ 27 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 4 AM | 59°F | 16 mph | S | ⚡ 25 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 5 AM | 58°F | 16 mph | S | ⚡ 25 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 6 AM | 60°F | 16 mph | S | ⚡ 24 mph | 1% | Partly Sunny |
| 7 AM | 60°F | 14 mph | S | ⚡ 24 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 8 AM | 61°F | 16 mph | S | ⚡ 27 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 9 AM | 65°F | 16 mph | S | ⚡ 28 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 10 AM | 68°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 27 mph | 0% | Sunny |
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.
Sunny, with a high near 69. Southeast wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. South southeast wind around 18 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 81. South wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 57. South wind 5 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Partly sunny, with a high near 69. North northeast wind 6 to 10 mph.
A slight chance of rain showers between 7pm and 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 44. North wind around 12 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
A chance of rain showers after 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. North wind around 12 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
A chance of rain showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. North wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. North wind around 7 mph.
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. East northeast wind around 6 mph.
A chance of rain showers after 7am. Partly sunny, with a high near 57. East southeast wind 6 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. Southeast wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. Southwest wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Northwest wind around 18 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Detroit Lake currently reports 58°F with wind velocity near 14 mph from the SE. 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 Detroit 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 FGF) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Detroit 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 Detroit Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Detroit Lake Water Level & Temperature →