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Lake Macatawa is a lake located in Michigan. At around 1,780 acres (about 3 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 Lake Michigan - Michigan Shoreline, Muskegon Lake, and Austin Lake. Check the hourly forecast and activity outlook below before heading out to Lake Macatawa.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 11, 2:54 PM EDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Best excellent fishing window, averaging 92/100 across these hours. Measured water temperature 61°F. Provisional data. Wind 7 mph from the south. Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 67° | 68° | 68° | 69° | 67° | 64° | 62° | 58° | 58° | 57° | 57° | 57° | 57° | 58° | 58° | 58° | 57° | 58° | 58° | 61° | 65° | 68° | 70° | 71° |
| Wind (kts) | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Direction | SW | W | W | W | W | W | SW | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | SW |
| Gusts (kts) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Precip % | 1% | 1% | 1% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, 2 PM EDT | 67°F | 3 mph SW (225°) | 7 mph | 1% | 16% | Sunny |
| Sun, 3 PM EDT | 68°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 7 mph | 1% | 14% | Sunny |
| Sun, 4 PM EDT | 68°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 7 mph | 1% | 6% | Sunny |
| Sun, 5 PM EDT | 69°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 8 mph | 0% | 6% | Sunny |
| Sun, 6 PM EDT | 67°F | 3 mph W (270°) | 7 mph | 0% | 3% | Clear |
| Sun, 7 PM EDT | 64°F | 2 mph WSW (248°) | 5 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Sun, 8 PM EDT | 62°F | 1 mph SSW (203°) | 4 mph | 0% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 9 PM EDT | 58°F | 1 mph S (180°) | 4 mph | 0% | 7% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 10 PM EDT | 58°F | 2 mph S (180°) | 5 mph | 0% | 11% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 11 PM EDT | 57°F | 3 mph S (180°) | 6 mph | 0% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| Mon, 12 AM EDT | 57°F | 3 mph S (180°) | 7 mph | 0% | 13% | Mostly Clear |
| Mon, 1 AM EDT | 57°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 8 mph | 0% | 13% | Mostly Clear |
| Mon, 2 AM EDT | 57°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 9 mph | 0% | 33% | Partly Cloudy |
| Mon, 3 AM EDT | 58°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 10 mph | 0% | 37% | Partly Cloudy |
| Mon, 4 AM EDT | 58°F | 6 mph S (180°) | 12 mph | 0% | 51% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 5 AM EDT | 58°F | 7 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 0% | 51% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 6 AM EDT | 57°F | 7 mph S (180°) | 14 mph | 0% | 72% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 7 AM EDT | 58°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 0% | 73% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 8 AM EDT | 58°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 16 mph | 0% | 74% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 9 AM EDT | 61°F | 9 mph S (180°) | 18 mph | 0% | 58% | Partly Sunny |
| Mon, 10 AM EDT | 65°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 18 mph | 0% | 61% | Partly Sunny |
| Mon, 11 AM EDT | 68°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 20 mph | 0% | 60% | Partly Sunny |
| Mon, 12 PM EDT | 70°F | 12 mph SSW (203°) | 20 mph | 0% | 45% | Mostly Sunny |
| Mon, 1 PM EDT | 71°F | 12 mph SSW (203°) | 20 mph | 0% | 40% | Mostly Sunny |
| Mon, 2 PM EDT | 72°F | 12 mph SSW (203°) | 21 mph | 0% | 29% | Mostly 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 | This Afternoon October 11, 2026 | Tonight 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 | Saturday October 17, 2026 | Saturday Night October 17, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 70° | 56° | 74° | 63° | 72° | 55° | 66° | 48° | 63° | 48° | 58° | 39° | 52° | 39° |
| Wind | WSW 5 mph | SSW 1 to 7 mph | SSW 7 to 12 mph | SSW 10 mph | WSW 12 mph | NNW 2 to 8 mph | N 2 to 9 mph | NNE 8 mph | E 9 mph | SSE 5 to 9 mph | NW 12 to 25 mph | NNW 14 to 25 mph | NNW 14 mph | W 3 to 9 mph |
| Gusts | 8 mph | 13 mph | 21 mph | 20 mph | 21 mph | 15 mph | 16 mph | 16 mph | 16 mph | 18 mph | 43 mph | 40 mph | 22 mph | 16 mph |
| Precip % | 1% | 0% | 7% | 38% | 12% | 20% | 20% | 7% | 46% | 64% | 45% | 45% | 20% | 3% |
| Forecast |
Holland, MI · Oct 11, 6:48 PM UTC
Nearby river temperature: 61.9°F at KALAMAZOO RIVER AT NEW RICHMOND, MI (9.9 mi away) · Oct 11, 6:00 PM UTC
Good for fishing (86/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 3 mph from the southwest. 1% 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 (98/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 3 mph from the southwest. Gusts to 7 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 (73/100), 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. 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 3 mph from the southwest. Gusts to 7 mph. Confidence is high (90%).
Surface water measured at 61°F. Air and water contrast evaluate recreational immersion comfort.
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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.
As one of MI's notable waterbodies, Lake Macatawa provides vital freshwater habitat and extensive recreational opportunities for public use. Whether you are navigating main channels by motorboat or fishing along quiet shoreline coves, the lake offers diverse seasonal experiences. On-site facilities and access points are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
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 Channel Catfish, Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill. 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.
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 Macatawa 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, 2:54 PM EDT