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Saranac Lake is one of the lakes LakeRadar tracks in New York. The water surface spans about 2,145 acres, making it a mid-sized body of water. Other waters in the region include Raquette Lake and Lake George. Coverage here includes an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, 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 Saranac Lake.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 9, 5:38 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 Good (85/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (89/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 87/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the south. Dawn hours (07:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 40° | 39° | 42° | 44° | 47° | 50° | 52° | 52° | 53° | 52° | 49° | 47° | 45° | 45° | 43° | 42° | 41° | 39° | 37° | 37° | 35° | 33° | 33° | 33° |
| Wind (kts) | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Direction | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | NW | NW | NW | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gusts (kts) | 17 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Precip % | 15% | 19% | 19% | 9% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 13% | 60% | 62% | 62% | 27% | 7% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 7 AM EDT | 40°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 20 mph | 15% | 63% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Fri, 8 AM EDT | 39°F | 8 mph W (270°) | 17 mph | 19% | 84% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Fri, 9 AM EDT | 42°F | 9 mph W (270°) | 22 mph | 19% | 86% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Fri, 10 AM EDT | 44°F | 9 mph W (270°) | 23 mph | 9% | 75% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 AM EDT | 47°F | 9 mph W (270°) | 23 mph | 4% | 49% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM EDT | 50°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 24 mph | 5% | 56% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM EDT | 52°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 27 mph | 4% | 70% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 2 PM EDT | 52°F | 12 mph W (270°) | 28 mph | 4% | 64% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM EDT | 53°F | 12 mph W (270°) | 28 mph | 13% | 63% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM EDT | 52°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 27 mph | 60% | 73% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Fri, 5 PM EDT | 49°F | 9 mph W (270°) | 25 mph | 62% | 75% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Fri, 6 PM EDT | 47°F | 8 mph W (270°) | 24 mph | 62% | 75% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Fri, 7 PM EDT | 45°F | 6 mph W (270°) | 22 mph | 27% | 84% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Fri, 8 PM EDT | 45°F | 3 mph W (270°) | 16 mph | 7% | 63% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM EDT | 43°F | 3 mph W (270°) | 13 mph | 2% | 79% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM EDT | 42°F | 2 mph NW (315°) | 8 mph | 0% | 65% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM EDT | 41°F | 2 mph NW (315°) | 7 mph | 0% | 60% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM EDT | 39°F | 1 mph NW (315°) | 5 mph | 0% | 32% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM EDT | 37°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 34% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 AM EDT | 37°F | Calm | 2 mph | 0% | 24% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM EDT | 35°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 19% | Patchy Frost |
| Sat, 4 AM EDT | 33°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 18% | Patchy Frost |
| Sat, 5 AM EDT | 33°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 19% | Patchy Frost |
| Sat, 6 AM EDT | 33°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 18% | Patchy Frost |
| Sat, 7 AM EDT | 31°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 19% | Areas Of Frost |
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) | 38° | 54° | 31° | 57° | 35° | 64° | 46° | 64° | 46° | 59° | 37° | 53° | 33° | 55° |
| Wind | W 10 mph | W 8 to 12 mph | NW 0 to 8 mph | NW 2 mph | SE 0 to 5 mph | S 7 mph | S 0 to 5 mph | W 0 to 3 mph | SW 0 to 6 mph | SW 8 mph | W 8 mph | NW 8 mph | N 1 to 5 mph | S 1 to 5 mph |
| Gusts | 17 mph | 28 mph | 24 mph | 6 mph | 10 mph | 16 mph | 12 mph | 7 mph | 10 mph | 18 mph | 16 mph | 15 mph | 12 mph | 10 mph |
| Precip % | 5% | 62% | 62% | 0% | 0% | 23% | 76% | 32% | 55% | 72% | 68% | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Saranac Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Good for fishing (88/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the west. Dawn hours (07:00 local). Working against it: Air temperature 40°F. 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 (82/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 10 mph from the west. 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 10 mph from the W 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: Wind 10 mph from the west. No active official alerts for this lake. Working against it: Air temperature 40°F. 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 NY Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
A versatile water resource in NY, Saranac Lake offers expansive open waters for motorized cruising, sailing, and shoreline fishing. The lake's dynamic character across the seasons attracts outdoor enthusiasts year-round. Check current USGS streamflow gauges, water temperatures, and state regulations for the best experience.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) 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 Smallmouth Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Yellow Perch, Largemouth Bass. 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 Saranac Lake 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, 7:07 AM EDT