Loading page content…
Loading page content…
Loading lake conditions…
Donner Lake is a lake in California. At around 960 acres (about 2 square miles), it is a modest waterbody. Below you will find an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. If you are planning a trip, Donner Lake, Boca Reservoir, and Stampede Reservoir are also nearby. Check the hourly forecast and activity outlook below before heading out to Donner Lake.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 11, 4:16 AM PDT) 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 (86/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (99/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 88/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the south. Morning hours (08:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 37° | 35° | 35° | 36° | 41° | 48° | 54° | 56° | 56° | 57° | 56° | 55° | 53° | 50° | 47° | 44° | 41° | 39° | 38° | 36° | 35° | 34° | 32° | 31° |
| Wind (kts) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Direction | — | — | — | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gusts (kts) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Precip % | 4% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 24% | 24% | 24% | 25% | 25% | 25% | 13% | 13% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 31% | 31% | 31% | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, 5 AM PDT | 37°F | Calm | 5 mph | 4% | 25% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 6 AM PDT | 35°F | Calm | 5 mph | 4% | 25% | Sunny |
| Sun, 7 AM PDT | 35°F | Calm | 5 mph | 4% | 25% | Sunny |
| Sun, 8 AM PDT | 36°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 14 mph | 5% | 29% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 9 AM PDT | 41°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 14 mph | 5% | 29% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 10 AM PDT | 48°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 14 mph | 5% | 29% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 11 AM PDT | 54°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 23 mph | 24% | 48% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 12 PM PDT | 56°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 23 mph | 24% | 48% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 1 PM PDT | 56°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 23 mph | 24% | 48% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 2 PM PDT | 57°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 24 mph | 25% | 50% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 3 PM PDT | 56°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 24 mph | 25% | 50% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 4 PM PDT | 55°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 24 mph | 25% | 50% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 5 PM PDT | 53°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 18 mph | 13% | 43% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 6 PM PDT | 50°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 18 mph | 13% | 43% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sun, 7 PM PDT | 47°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 18 mph | 13% | 43% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sun, 8 PM PDT | 44°F | Calm | 6 mph | 15% | 27% | Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
| Sun, 9 PM PDT | 41°F | Calm | 6 mph | 15% | 27% | Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
| Sun, 10 PM PDT | 39°F | Calm | 6 mph | 15% | 27% | Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
| Sun, 11 PM PDT | 38°F | Calm | 7 mph | 31% | 54% | Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
| Mon, 12 AM PDT | 36°F | Calm | 7 mph | 31% | 54% | Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
| Mon, 1 AM PDT | 35°F | Calm | 7 mph | 31% | 54% | Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
| Mon, 2 AM PDT | 34°F | Calm | 5 mph | 15% | 54% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 3 AM PDT | 32°F | Calm | 5 mph | 15% | 54% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 4 AM PDT | 31°F | Calm | 5 mph | 15% | 54% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 5 AM PDT | 31°F | Calm | 4 mph | 36% | 57% | Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
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 | Tonight October 10, 2026 | Overnight October 11, 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 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 | Friday October 16, 2026 | Friday Night October 16, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 35° | 35° | 58° | 29° | 48° | 23° | 58° | 28° | 63° | 32° | 65° | 34° | 68° | 36° |
| Wind | SW 0 to 15 mph | SW 0 to 10 mph | SW 0 to 10 mph | W 0 to 10 mph | W 0 to 5 mph | N 0 to 5 mph | NE 0 to 5 mph | NE 0 to 5 mph | NE 0 to 5 mph | NE 5 to 10 mph | E 5 mph | E 5 to 15 mph | E 0 to 5 mph | SE 0 to 5 mph |
| Gusts | 22 mph | 35 mph | 25 mph | 20 mph | 13 mph | 13 mph | 12 mph | 12 mph | 12 mph | 18 mph | 15 mph | 31 mph | 10 mph | 12 mph |
| Precip % | 15% | 4% | 25% | 36% | 62% | 49% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (84/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the north-northwest. Dawn hours (05:00 local). Working against it: Air temperature 37°F. 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 boating (99/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the north-northwest. Gusts to 5 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.
Fair for sailing (61/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Gusts are within 5 mph of sustained wind, so the breeze is steady. Working against it: Wind 0 mph is light; expect limited sailing. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (96/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the north-northwest. Gusts to 5 mph. Working against it: Air temperature 37°F. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
Loading interactive map…
Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of CA Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Donner Lake is a versatile freshwater lake in CA, overseen by state and local natural resource agencies to provide safe, sustainable outdoor recreation for all visitors. The lake supports active watersports, pontoon cruising, and bank fishing along accessible public easements. Checking current weather alerts and wave forecasts ensures a safe trip.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Mandatory Clean, Drain & Dry inspection. Out-of-area craft require on-site Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS Quagga/Zebra) inspection or decontamination before launch. USCG life jackets required for all.
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 Brook Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Green Sunfish, Brown Trout. 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.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
NWS API Web Service · License: U.S. Government work · Attribution: Data provided by the National Weather Service (api.weather.gov)
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 Donner 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 11, 5:06 AM PDT