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Hayden Lake sits in Idaho and is classified as a lake. The water surface spans about 3,800 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. Nearby alternatives include Harrison Slough, Lake Pend Oreille, and Priest Lake. Use the conditions and forecast on this page to decide when to go boating, fishing, or paddling at Hayden Lake.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 7:55 AM MDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Excellent (90/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (94/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 90/100 across these hours. Wind 8 mph from the north. Dusk hours (18:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 50° | 50° | 51° | 55° | 60° | 63° | 63° | 65° | 63° | 62° | 62° | 59° | 59° | 57° | 55° | 52° | 50° | 48° | 46° | 45° | 44° | 43° | 43° | 42° |
| Wind (kts) | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Direction | SE | SE | S | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
| Gusts (kts) | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 |
| Precip % | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 22% | 22% | 22% | 22% | 22% | 22% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 7 AM MDT | 50°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 16 mph | 1% | 46% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM MDT | 50°F | 9 mph SE (135°) | 16 mph | 1% | 47% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM MDT | 51°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 18 mph | 1% | 50% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM MDT | 55°F | 12 mph S (180°) | 21 mph | 1% | 45% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM MDT | 60°F | 12 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 1% | 36% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM MDT | 63°F | 14 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 22% | 49% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Fri, 1 PM MDT | 63°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 24 mph | 22% | 50% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Fri, 2 PM MDT | 65°F | 17 mph SW (225°) | 28 mph | 22% | 58% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Fri, 3 PM MDT | 63°F | 16 mph SW (225°) | 27 mph | 22% | 77% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Fri, 4 PM MDT | 62°F | 16 mph SW (225°) | 27 mph | 22% | 86% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Fri, 5 PM MDT | 62°F | 14 mph SW (225°) | 28 mph | 22% | 72% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Fri, 6 PM MDT | 59°F | 14 mph SW (225°) | 27 mph | 11% | 65% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 7 PM MDT | 59°F | 12 mph SW (225°) | 24 mph | 11% | 60% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM MDT | 57°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 23 mph | 11% | 51% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM MDT | 55°F | 12 mph SW (225°) | 20 mph | 11% | 61% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM MDT | 52°F | 12 mph SW (225°) | 20 mph | 11% | 36% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM MDT | 50°F | 12 mph SW (225°) | 20 mph | 11% | 25% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM MDT | 48°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 0% | 11% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM MDT | 46°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 0% | 20% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM MDT | 45°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 0% | 38% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 3 AM MDT | 44°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 14 mph | 0% | 47% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 4 AM MDT | 43°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 14 mph | 0% | 40% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 5 AM MDT | 43°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 0% | 28% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 6 AM MDT | 42°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 14 mph | 3% | 24% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 7 AM MDT | 41°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 14 mph | 3% | 24% | Sunny |
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 | Today October 9, 2026 | Tonight 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 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 66° | 41° | 56° | 39° | 51° | 35° | 56° | 37° | 58° | 40° | 58° | 40° | 60° | 40° |
| Wind | S 9 to 17 mph | S 8 to 12 mph | W 3 to 8 mph | NE 8 to 17 mph | NE 9 to 17 mph | NE 7 to 12 mph | N 2 to 7 mph | S 2 mph | S 3 mph | S 2 mph | SW 5 mph | N 2 mph | NE 2 mph | NE 2 mph |
| Gusts | 28 mph | 24 mph | 21 mph | 33 mph | 33 mph | 23 mph | 10 mph | 7 mph | 10 mph | 7 mph | 13 mph | 8 mph | 8 mph | — |
| Precip % | 22% | 11% | 10% | 18% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 8% | 38% | 38% | 14% | 3% | 1% |
| Forecast |
Excellent for fishing (92/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the southeast. Dawn hours (07:00 local). 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 (87/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 10 mph from the southeast. 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 sailing (94/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the SE is in the preferred sailing range. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Good for kayaking (85/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the southeast. No active official alerts for this lake. 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 ID Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Hayden Lake serves as a key recreational and ecological freshwater lake in ID, 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 Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is required for anglers age 14+. 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, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, 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 Hayden 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, 7:55 AM MDT