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Lake Waco is a reservoir in Texas. It covers roughly 8,444 surface acres (about 13 square miles). If you are planning a trip, Lake Whitney, Aquilla Lake, and Belton Lake 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 Waco so you can plan a visit.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 4:30 AM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Good (89/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (99/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 96/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the north. Dawn hours (07:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 68° | 68° | 66° | 65° | 65° | 68° | 73° | 77° | 80° | 85° | 85° | 88° | 89° | 87° | 86° | 83° | 79° | 77° | 75° | 72° | 71° | 70° | 68° | 67° |
| Wind (kts) | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Direction | — | N | N | N | N | N | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | E | E | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gusts (kts) | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 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, 4 AM CDT | 68°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 35% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 AM CDT | 68°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 5 mph | 0% | 37% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 AM CDT | 66°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 5 mph | 0% | 45% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM CDT | 65°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 6 mph | 0% | 39% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM CDT | 65°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 5 mph | 0% | 40% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM CDT | 68°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 5 mph | 0% | 26% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM CDT | 73°F | 5 mph NNE (23°) | 6 mph | 0% | 21% | Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM CDT | 77°F | 5 mph NNE (23°) | 7 mph | 0% | 16% | Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM CDT | 80°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 8 mph | 0% | 10% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM CDT | 85°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 10 mph | 0% | 6% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM CDT | 85°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 12 mph | 0% | 9% | Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM CDT | 88°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 12 mph | 0% | 7% | Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM CDT | 89°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 13 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM CDT | 87°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 13 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM CDT | 86°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 10 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Fri, 7 PM CDT | 83°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 8 mph | 0% | 0% | Clear |
| Fri, 8 PM CDT | 79°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 7 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM CDT | 77°F | 5 mph ENE (68°) | 6 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM CDT | 75°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 5 mph | 0% | 3% | Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM CDT | 72°F | Calm | 5 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM CDT | 71°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM CDT | 70°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM CDT | 68°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM CDT | 67°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 3% | Clear |
| Sat, 4 AM CDT | 65°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
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 | 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 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 65° | 90° | 62° | 89° | 67° | 90° | 70° | 90° | 74° | 92° | 75° | 92° | 74° | 88° |
| Wind | N 0 to 5 mph | NNE 5 mph | NNE 0 to 5 mph | SSE 0 to 5 mph | S 5 mph | S 5 to 15 mph | SSE 5 to 10 mph | SSE 5 to 10 mph | S 5 to 10 mph | S 5 to 10 mph | SSE 10 mph | S 10 to 15 mph | SSE 10 to 15 mph | S 10 mph |
| Gusts | 5 mph | 13 mph | 10 mph | 9 mph | 12 mph | 25 mph | 20 mph | 25 mph | 17 mph | 22 mph | 21 mph | 24 mph | 23 mph | 20 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 5% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 8% | 14% | 35% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (89/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the north. 0% 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 (99/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the north. Gusts to 4 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 (62/100), 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 0 mph is light; expect limited sailing. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (99/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the north. Gusts to 4 mph. 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 TX Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Providing dependable water recreation for TX residents and travelers, Lake Waco accommodates fishing boats, runabouts, and non-motorized craft. The waterbody plays an essential role in local watershed conservation and outdoor leisure. Responsible boating and clean-drain-dry practices keep the waters pristine for all.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) 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 Green Sunfish, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Blue Catfish. 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 Waco 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, 4:30 AM CDT