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Elk Lake is one of the lakes LakeRadar tracks in Michigan. At around 7,730 acres (about 12 square miles), it is a mid-sized waterbody. Below you will find an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Other waters in the region include Torch Lake, Lake Charlevoix, and Glen Lake. Check the hourly forecast and activity outlook below before heading out to Elk Lake.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 4:06 AM EDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Excellent (90/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (95/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 92/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the west. Dawn hours (06:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 49° | 49° | 49° | 48° | 48° | 51° | 55° | 57° | 59° | 59° | 61° | 61° | 62° | 62° | 61° | 59° | 54° | 51° | 49° | 50° | 49° | 49° | 50° | 51° |
| Wind (kts) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Direction | SW | SW | W | W | W | W | NW | NW | NW | N | N | N | N | N | N | NE | NE | E | E | E | SE | SE | SE | SE |
| Gusts (kts) | 9 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| Precip % | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 4 AM EDT | 49°F | 5 mph SW (225°) | 10 mph | 2% | 41% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 AM EDT | 49°F | 5 mph SW (225°) | 16 mph | 1% | 51% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 AM EDT | 49°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 15 mph | 1% | 37% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM EDT | 48°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 13 mph | 1% | 23% | Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM EDT | 48°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 10 mph | 0% | 10% | Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM EDT | 51°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 10 mph | 0% | 7% | Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM EDT | 55°F | 5 mph NW (315°) | 12 mph | 0% | 4% | Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM EDT | 57°F | 5 mph NW (315°) | 13 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM EDT | 59°F | 5 mph NW (315°) | 13 mph | 0% | 4% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM EDT | 59°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 13 mph | 0% | 6% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM EDT | 61°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 12 mph | 1% | 9% | Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM EDT | 61°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 10 mph | 1% | 9% | Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM EDT | 62°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 10 mph | 1% | 9% | Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM EDT | 62°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 9 mph | 1% | 9% | Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM EDT | 61°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 9 mph | 1% | 7% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 7 PM EDT | 59°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 9 mph | 1% | 5% | Clear |
| Fri, 8 PM EDT | 54°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 9 mph | 3% | 3% | Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM EDT | 51°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 10 mph | 3% | 5% | Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM EDT | 49°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 12 mph | 3% | 6% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM EDT | 50°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 13 mph | 3% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM EDT | 49°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 14 mph | 3% | 15% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM EDT | 49°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 15 mph | 3% | 22% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM EDT | 50°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 16 mph | 3% | 30% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 3 AM EDT | 51°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 17 mph | 3% | 45% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 4 AM EDT | 52°F | 15 mph SE (135°) | 18 mph | 3% | 59% | Mostly Cloudy |
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 | Overnight October 9, 2026 | Friday October 9, 2026 | Friday Night 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) | 45° | 62° | 49° | 78° | 59° | 74° | 55° | 73° | 51° | 60° | 44° | 61° | 46° | 63° |
| Wind | SW 5 mph | NW 5 mph | E 5 to 15 mph | S 15 mph | S 10 to 15 mph | S 5 to 10 mph | S 0 to 5 mph | SW 5 to 10 mph | NW 5 to 10 mph | N 5 to 10 mph | N 0 to 10 mph | NE 0 to 5 mph | E 5 mph | SE 5 to 15 mph |
| Gusts | 16 mph | 15 mph | 21 mph | 24 mph | 21 mph | 18 mph | 12 mph | 24 mph | 24 mph | 24 mph | 23 mph | 16 mph | 21 mph | 30 mph |
| Precip % | 2% | 1% | 3% | 5% | 5% | 1% | 0% | 28% | 40% | 36% | 8% | 12% | 30% | 52% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (88/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 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 boating (95/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the southwest. Gusts to 10 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.
Good for sailing (83/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Gusts exceed sustained wind by 5 mph, making the breeze puffy. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (93/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the southwest. Gusts to 10 mph. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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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.
Elk Lake serves as a key recreational and ecological freshwater lake in MI, overseen by state and local natural resource agencies. The waterbody supports active boating, angling, and shoreline access throughout the open season. Visitors are encouraged to verify current launch conditions, water levels, and local regulations before heading out onto the water.
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 Yellow Perch, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass. 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.
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 Elk 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, 4:06 AM EDT