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In North Carolina, Lake Hickory is a reservoir used for time on and around the water. The water surface spans about 4,223 acres, making it a mid-sized body of water. If you are planning a trip, Lake Norman, Lake James, and Lake Wylie are also nearby. Below you will find an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. This page combines the live forecast, wind, and conditions for Lake Hickory so you can plan a visit.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 9, 1:51 AM EDT) 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 Excellent (90/100) across 5 activities. Best right now: Boating (98/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 90/100 across these hours. Wind 0 mph from the north. Dusk hours (19:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 59° | 58° | 58° | 56° | 56° | 56° | 56° | 59° | 64° | 68° | 70° | 73° | 74° | 74° | 75° | 73° | 72° | 69° | 65° | 63° | 62° | 60° | 60° | 59° |
| Wind (kts) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Direction | NE | NE | NE | NE | N | N | N | N | NE | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | — | — | — | — | NE | NE | NE | NE |
| Gusts (kts) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 2 AM EDT | 59°F | 1 mph NNE (23°) | 4 mph | 0% | 84% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 3 AM EDT | 58°F | 1 mph NNE (23°) | 4 mph | 0% | 73% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 4 AM EDT | 58°F | 1 mph NE (45°) | 4 mph | 0% | 86% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 AM EDT | 56°F | 1 mph NNE (23°) | 5 mph | 0% | 80% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 AM EDT | 56°F | 1 mph N (0°) | 5 mph | 0% | 84% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 AM EDT | 56°F | 1 mph N (0°) | 5 mph | 0% | 73% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 AM EDT | 56°F | 1 mph N (0°) | 5 mph | 0% | 79% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 AM EDT | 59°F | 2 mph N (0°) | 5 mph | 0% | 76% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 AM EDT | 64°F | 2 mph NE (45°) | 5 mph | 0% | 92% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 AM EDT | 68°F | 2 mph ENE (68°) | 6 mph | 0% | 93% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 12 PM EDT | 70°F | 2 mph ENE (68°) | 7 mph | 0% | 90% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 1 PM EDT | 73°F | 3 mph ENE (68°) | 8 mph | 0% | 94% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 2 PM EDT | 74°F | 3 mph ENE (68°) | 8 mph | 0% | 85% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 3 PM EDT | 74°F | 3 mph ENE (68°) | 8 mph | 0% | 83% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 4 PM EDT | 75°F | 2 mph ENE (68°) | 7 mph | 0% | 89% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 PM EDT | 73°F | 2 mph ENE (68°) | 6 mph | 0% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 PM EDT | 72°F | Calm | 5 mph | 0% | 83% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM EDT | 69°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 86% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM EDT | 65°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 80% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM EDT | 63°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 87% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM EDT | 62°F | 1 mph NE (45°) | 4 mph | 0% | 85% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM EDT | 60°F | 1 mph NNE (23°) | 4 mph | 0% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM EDT | 60°F | 1 mph NNE (23°) | 5 mph | 0% | 91% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM EDT | 59°F | 1 mph NNE (23°) | 5 mph | 0% | 96% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 AM EDT | 59°F | 1 mph NNE (23°) | 5 mph | 0% | 97% | 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 | This Afternoon October 8, 2026 | Tonight October 8, 2026 | Tonight October 8, 2026 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 83° | 55° | 55° | 55° | 76° | 57° | 66° | 56° | 72° | 60° | 78° | 56° | 82° | 57° |
| Wind | NW 2 mph | NNE 1 mph | NNE 1 mph | NNE 1 mph | NE 3 mph | NE 0 to 3 mph | NE 5 to 14 mph | NE 13 mph | E 8 to 12 mph | SW 3 to 9 mph | WNW 3 to 8 mph | WNW 1 to 5 mph | W 1 to 5 mph | W 3 mph |
| Gusts | 6 mph | 6 mph | 6 mph | 5 mph | 8 mph | 8 mph | 27 mph | 27 mph | 21 mph | 17 mph | 16 mph | 10 mph | 10 mph | 9 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 70% | 96% | 96% | 65% | 7% | 6% | 0% | 1% |
| Forecast |
Nearby river temperature: 74.1°F at CATAWBA RIVER AT NC HIGHWAY 16 NR MILLERSVILLE, NC (9.9 mi away) · Oct 9, 6:30 AM UTC
Good for fishing (88/100), from 6 available inputs. Supporting this: Measured water temperature 74°F from a representative gauge 9.9 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 2 mph from the northwest. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend. Confidence is moderate (78%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for boating (98/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 2 mph from the northwest. Gusts to 6 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 (70/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts are within 4 mph of sustained wind, so the breeze is steady. No active official alerts for this lake. Working against it: Wind 2 mph is light; expect limited sailing. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (98/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 2 mph from the northwest. Gusts to 6 mph. Confidence is high (90%).
No verified water temperature source exists for this lake, so a swimming comfort score is not shown.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of NC Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Lake Hickory in NC offers a welcoming freshwater setting for recreational boaters, dedicated anglers, and shoreline explorers. Its waters present diverse fishing opportunities alongside scenic vistas of the surrounding terrain. Public access facilities and shoreline parklands are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) 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 Green Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Black Crappie, Yellow Perch. 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 Lake Hickory 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, 2:42 AM EDT