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Lake Norman is a reservoir located in North Carolina. At around 32,510 acres (about 51 square miles), it is a large waterbody. Sitting at around 760 feet of elevation, it drops to a maximum depth near 110 feet. Fish documented in the area include Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, Redear Sunfish, and Green Sunfish. LakeRadar pulls readings from a mapped water gauge, so current water data is shown when the station reports. Nearby alternatives include Mountain Island Lake, Lake Wylie, and Lake Wylie (NC). For this location, LakeRadar tracks an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Use the conditions and forecast on this page to decide when to go boating, fishing, or paddling at Lake Norman.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 9, 2:37 PM 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 Good (89/100) across 5 activities. Best right now: Swimming (93/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 93/100 across these hours. Measured water temperature 77°F from a representative gauge 4.2 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 6 mph from the northeast. Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 74° | 74° | 73° | 71° | 69° | 69° | 68° | 67° | 67° | 66° | 66° | 66° | 64° | 63° | 62° | 61° | 62° | 61° | 61° | 62° | 62° | 63° | 64° | 64° |
| Wind (kts) | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 |
| Direction | NE | NE | NE | NE | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | E | E | E | E |
| Gusts (kts) | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 27 |
| Precip % | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 5% | 24% | 30% | 32% | 33% | 36% | 34% | 33% | 33% | 32% | 56% | 66% | 66% | 89% | 92% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 4 PM EDT | 74°F | 8 mph NE (45°) | 15 mph | 0% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 PM EDT | 74°F | 7 mph NE (45°) | 14 mph | 1% | 89% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 PM EDT | 73°F | 6 mph NE (45°) | 14 mph | 1% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM EDT | 71°F | 6 mph NE (45°) | 13 mph | 1% | 89% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM EDT | 69°F | 6 mph ENE (68°) | 13 mph | 3% | 93% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM EDT | 69°F | 6 mph ENE (68°) | 13 mph | 3% | 91% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM EDT | 68°F | 7 mph ENE (68°) | 13 mph | 4% | 94% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM EDT | 67°F | 7 mph ENE (68°) | 12 mph | 5% | 95% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM EDT | 67°F | 7 mph ENE (68°) | 12 mph | 4% | 94% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM EDT | 66°F | 7 mph ENE (68°) | 12 mph | 5% | 94% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 AM EDT | 66°F | 7 mph ENE (68°) | 12 mph | 24% | 94% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 3 AM EDT | 66°F | 8 mph ENE (68°) | 13 mph | 30% | 93% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 4 AM EDT | 64°F | 9 mph ENE (68°) | 14 mph | 32% | 95% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 5 AM EDT | 63°F | 10 mph NE (45°) | 15 mph | 33% | 97% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 6 AM EDT | 62°F | 13 mph NE (45°) | 18 mph | 36% | 95% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 7 AM EDT | 61°F | 14 mph NE (45°) | 20 mph | 34% | 93% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 8 AM EDT | 62°F | 14 mph NE (45°) | 21 mph | 33% | 91% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 9 AM EDT | 61°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 24 mph | 33% | 88% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 10 AM EDT | 61°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 25 mph | 32% | 91% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 11 AM EDT | 62°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 27 mph | 56% | 92% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sat, 12 PM EDT | 62°F | 17 mph ENE (68°) | 28 mph | 66% | 89% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sat, 1 PM EDT | 63°F | 17 mph ENE (68°) | 30 mph | 66% | 90% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sat, 2 PM EDT | 64°F | 17 mph ENE (68°) | 30 mph | 89% | 92% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 3 PM EDT | 64°F | 18 mph ENE (68°) | 31 mph | 92% | 94% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 4 PM EDT | 65°F | 20 mph ENE (68°) | 33 mph | 90% | 95% | Rain Showers |
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 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) | 76° | 61° | 67° | 65° | 75° | 64° | 79° | 61° | 83° | 63° | 80° | 61° | 75° | 60° |
| Wind | NE 8 mph | NE 6 to 10 mph | ENE 13 to 20 mph | ENE 13 to 21 mph | SSE 10 to 15 mph | SW 8 to 14 mph | WNW 7 to 12 mph | NW 2 to 6 mph | W 2 to 6 mph | W 2 to 6 mph | W 3 mph | ESE 5 mph | ESE 5 mph | SSE 3 mph |
| Gusts | 16 mph | 18 mph | 35 mph | 36 mph | 25 mph | 25 mph | 21 mph | 15 mph | 12 mph | 10 mph | 9 mph | 7 mph | 8 mph | 7 mph |
| Precip % | 1% | 33% | 96% | 100% | 78% | 22% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Lake Norman. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
CATAWBA R AT RR BRIDGE AB NC 73 AT COWANS FORD, NC · Oct 9, 8:00 PM UTC
Nearby river temperature: 75.9°F at CATAWBA RIVER DNSTRM DECK MTN IS DAM NR MTN IS, NC (10.9 mi away) · Oct 9, 8:00 PM UTC
Good for fishing (87/100), from 6 available inputs. Supporting this: Measured water temperature 77°F from a representative gauge 4.2 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 8 mph from the northeast. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend. Confidence is moderate (82%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for boating (89/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the northeast. No active official alerts for this lake. 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 (89/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the NE 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 (88/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the northeast. No active official alerts for this lake. Confidence is high (90%).
Surface water measured at 77°F. Air and water contrast evaluate recreational immersion comfort.
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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.
Nestled in NC, Lake Norman is an attractive freshwater reservoir celebrated for its open water, scenic shoreline, and productive sport fishery. From spring pre-spawn fishing to peak summer watersports, the lake remains a popular regional destination. Keep watercraft clean, drained, and dry to safeguard this aquatic resource.
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 Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, Redear Sunfish, Green Sunfish. 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 Norman 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, 4:20 PM EDT