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Lake of the Woods is one of the lakes LakeRadar tracks in Minnesota. It covers roughly 950,400 surface acres (about 1,485 square miles). Fish documented in the area include Rock Bass, Mackinaw (Lake Trout), Yellow Perch, and Muskellunge. 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. Water data on this page comes from a mapped monitoring station near the lake. Use the conditions and forecast on this page to decide when to go boating, fishing, or paddling at Lake of the Woods.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 2:05 PM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Good (82/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (95/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 82/100 across these hours. Dusk hours (18:00 local). 1% chance of precipitation. Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 55° | 56° | 57° | 59° | 60° | 61° | 59° | 57° | 57° | 57° | 57° | 56° | 56° | 56° | 56° | 55° | 57° | 57° | 57° | 58° | 59° | 61° | 62° | 63° |
| Wind (kts) | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
| Direction | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SE | S | S |
| Gusts (kts) | 17 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Precip % | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 3% | 4% | 7% | 7% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 2 PM CDT | 55°F | 13 mph SE (135°) | 20 mph | 3% | 56% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM CDT | 56°F | 14 mph SE (135°) | 22 mph | 3% | 45% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM CDT | 57°F | 14 mph SE (135°) | 22 mph | 3% | 40% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM CDT | 59°F | 15 mph SE (135°) | 23 mph | 2% | 33% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM CDT | 60°F | 16 mph SE (135°) | 23 mph | 1% | 47% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM CDT | 61°F | 17 mph SE (135°) | 23 mph | 2% | 67% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM CDT | 59°F | 18 mph SE (135°) | 25 mph | 2% | 65% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM CDT | 57°F | 21 mph SE (135°) | 28 mph | 2% | 83% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM CDT | 57°F | 22 mph SSE (158°) | 28 mph | 2% | 71% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM CDT | 57°F | 23 mph SSE (158°) | 29 mph | 1% | 66% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM CDT | 57°F | 23 mph SSE (158°) | 29 mph | 0% | 51% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM CDT | 56°F | 22 mph SSE (158°) | 27 mph | 0% | 50% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 AM CDT | 56°F | 22 mph SSE (158°) | 27 mph | 0% | 69% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 3 AM CDT | 56°F | 21 mph SSE (158°) | 25 mph | 1% | 74% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 4 AM CDT | 56°F | 20 mph SSE (158°) | 24 mph | 1% | 78% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 5 AM CDT | 55°F | 20 mph SSE (158°) | 24 mph | 1% | 81% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 6 AM CDT | 57°F | 18 mph SSE (158°) | 23 mph | 1% | 72% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 7 AM CDT | 57°F | 17 mph SSE (158°) | 21 mph | 1% | 79% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 8 AM CDT | 57°F | 16 mph SSE (158°) | 20 mph | 1% | 73% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 9 AM CDT | 58°F | 16 mph SSE (158°) | 20 mph | 2% | 57% | Partly Sunny |
| Sat, 10 AM CDT | 59°F | 15 mph SSE (158°) | 20 mph | 3% | 40% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sat, 11 AM CDT | 61°F | 14 mph SE (135°) | 20 mph | 4% | 41% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sat, 12 PM CDT | 62°F | 13 mph SSE (158°) | 20 mph | 7% | 67% | Partly Sunny |
| Sat, 1 PM CDT | 63°F | 13 mph SSE (158°) | 20 mph | 7% | 75% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 PM CDT | 64°F | 12 mph SSE (158°) | 20 mph | 4% | 59% | Partly 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 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) | 61° | 55° | 67° | 53° | 57° | 46° | 49° | 43° | 50° | 44° | 54° | 46° | 54° | 43° |
| Wind | SE 15 mph | SE 16 to 23 mph | SSE 10 to 18 mph | WSW 7 to 13 mph | N 13 to 17 mph | NNE 20 mph | NNE 13 to 16 mph | NNE 9 to 14 mph | NW 5 to 9 mph | WSW 8 mph | S 9 mph | SE 8 to 14 mph | SW 14 to 18 mph | WNW 20 to 30 mph |
| Gusts | 23 mph | 29 mph | 23 mph | 16 mph | 24 mph | 24 mph | 21 mph | 20 mph | 12 mph | 12 mph | 13 mph | 17 mph | 29 mph | 30 mph |
| Precip % | 3% | 2% | 7% | 0% | 49% | 86% | 60% | 60% | 27% | 4% | 15% | 41% | 59% | 59% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Lake of the Woods. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Good for fishing (78/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 13 mph from the southeast. 3% 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.
Good for boating (80/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 13 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 (95/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 13 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 (79/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 13 mph from the southeast. 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 MN Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Lake of the Woods offers an inviting freshwater retreat in MN, overseen by state and local natural resource agencies. Its waters provide ample room for watersports, pontoon cruising, and quiet morning paddle trips along sheltered bays. Staying updated on real-time streamflow and meteorological conditions ensures a smooth trip on the water.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) 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 Rock Bass, Mackinaw (Lake Trout), Yellow Perch, Muskellunge. 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 of the Woods 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, 2:05 PM CDT