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Fox Chain o'Lakes is a lake located in Illinois. The water surface spans about 6,500 acres, making it a mid-sized body of water. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. If you are planning a trip, Browns Lake, Geneva Lake, and Delavan Lake are also nearby. Current weather, wind, and activity conditions for Fox Chain o'Lakes are updated throughout the day.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 5:39 AM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Fair (64/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (75/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 91/100 across these hours. Wind 10 mph from the south-southeast. Dusk hours (18:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 50° | 50° | 51° | 54° | 58° | 61° | 64° | 66° | 67° | 67° | 68° | 67° | 66° | 65° | 61° | 60° | 59° | 59° | 59° | 59° | 59° | 59° | 58° | 58° |
| Wind (kts) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Direction | — | — | — | — | SE | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | S | S | S | S |
| Gusts (kts) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
| Precip % | 0% | 1% | 2% | 4% | 5% | 7% | 11% | 16% | 20% | 28% | 37% | 45% | 36% | 24% | 10% | 10% | 9% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 5 AM CDT | 50°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 62% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 AM CDT | 50°F | Calm | 1 mph | 1% | 69% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM CDT | 51°F | Calm | 1 mph | 2% | 77% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 AM CDT | 54°F | Calm | 2 mph | 4% | 79% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 AM CDT | 58°F | 5 mph ESE (113°) | 5 mph | 5% | 80% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 AM CDT | 61°F | 5 mph SSE (158°) | 7 mph | 7% | 82% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 AM CDT | 64°F | 5 mph SSE (158°) | 9 mph | 11% | 84% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 12 PM CDT | 66°F | 5 mph SSE (158°) | 12 mph | 16% | 80% | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Fri, 1 PM CDT | 67°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 13 mph | 20% | 75% | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Fri, 2 PM CDT | 67°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 14 mph | 28% | 72% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Fri, 3 PM CDT | 68°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 14 mph | 37% | 69% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Fri, 4 PM CDT | 67°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 15 mph | 45% | 73% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Fri, 5 PM CDT | 66°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 15 mph | 36% | 64% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Fri, 6 PM CDT | 65°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 15 mph | 24% | 63% | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Fri, 7 PM CDT | 61°F | 10 mph ESE (113°) | 14 mph | 10% | 46% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM CDT | 60°F | 10 mph ESE (113°) | 15 mph | 10% | 24% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM CDT | 59°F | 10 mph ESE (113°) | 15 mph | 9% | 40% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM CDT | 59°F | 10 mph ESE (113°) | 15 mph | 4% | 32% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM CDT | 59°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 15 mph | 2% | 19% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM CDT | 59°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 15 mph | 1% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM CDT | 59°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 15 mph | 1% | 5% | Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM CDT | 59°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 15 mph | 1% | 4% | Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM CDT | 58°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 16 mph | 1% | 5% | Clear |
| Sat, 4 AM CDT | 58°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 16 mph | 1% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 5 AM CDT | 57°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 16 mph | 1% | 1% | Clear |
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) | 47° | 69° | 56° | 78° | 56° | 73° | 55° | 78° | 58° | 70° | 50° | 66° | 51° | 69° |
| Wind | 0 mph | E 0 to 10 mph | SSE 10 mph | S 10 to 15 mph | SSE 5 to 10 mph | SE 5 mph | S 5 mph | SW 5 to 10 mph | W 5 to 10 mph | NNW 5 to 10 mph | NE 0 to 5 mph | E 5 to 10 mph | SE 5 mph | S 10 to 15 mph |
| Gusts | 1 mph | 15 mph | 20 mph | 25 mph | 20 mph | 8 mph | 10 mph | 18 mph | 16 mph | 18 mph | 15 mph | 17 mph | 16 mph | 28 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 45% | 24% | 0% | 1% | 2% | 0% | 5% | 36% | 36% | 19% | 31% | 56% | 56% |
| Forecast |
Fair for fishing (62/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the south. 0% chance of precipitation. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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.
Good for boating (75/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the south. Gusts to 1 mph. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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.
Poor for sailing (39/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts are within 1 mph of sustained wind, so the breeze is steady. No active official alerts for this lake. Working against it: Wind 0 mph is light; expect limited sailing. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Fair for kayaking (73/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the south. Gusts to 1 mph. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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 IL Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
In IL, Fox Chain o'Lakes stands as a valued freshwater lake offering scenic outdoor recreation and critical regional water resources. Visitors enjoy powerboating, sailing, and tranquil shoreline fishing across its varied channels. Check state agency updates for current fishing creel limits and aquatic species inspections.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is required for anglers age 16+. 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 Bluegill, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Channel Catfish, Common Carp. 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.
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 Fox Chain o'Lakes 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, 5:39 AM CDT