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In Nebraska, Merritt Reservoir is a reservoir used for time on and around the water. The deepest point reaches about 105 feet, and the surface sits near 2,945 feet above sea level. It covers roughly 2,906 surface acres (about 5 square miles). Research-grade observations nearby include Rainbow Trout and Brook Trout. LakeRadar pulls readings from a mapped water gauge, so current water data is shown when the station reports. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Check the hourly forecast and activity outlook below before heading out to Merritt Reservoir.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 11, 10:12 AM PDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Fair (67/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (82/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 87/100 across these hours. Wind 7 mph from the north-northeast. Dusk hours (20:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 37° | 39° | 43° | 44° | 44° | 44° | 44° | 43° | 40° | 38° | 37° | 33° | 30° | 29° | 27° | 26° | 25° | 25° | 23° | 22° | 21° | 19° | 23° | 27° |
| Wind (kts) | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| Direction | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | N | NE | N | N | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | N | N | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE |
| Gusts (kts) | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, 10 AM PDT | 37°F | 20 mph NNE (23°) | 30 mph | 0% | 16% | Sunny |
| Sun, 11 AM PDT | 39°F | 21 mph NNE (23°) | 31 mph | 0% | 12% | Sunny |
| Sun, 12 PM PDT | 43°F | 21 mph NNE (23°) | 31 mph | 0% | 10% | Sunny |
| Sun, 1 PM PDT | 44°F | 21 mph NNE (23°) | 31 mph | 0% | 4% | Sunny |
| Sun, 2 PM PDT | 44°F | 20 mph NNE (23°) | 30 mph | 0% | 5% | Sunny |
| Sun, 3 PM PDT | 44°F | 18 mph NNE (23°) | 28 mph | 0% | 7% | Sunny |
| Sun, 4 PM PDT | 44°F | 18 mph N (0°) | 28 mph | 0% | 13% | Sunny |
| Sun, 5 PM PDT | 43°F | 17 mph NNE (23°) | 27 mph | 0% | 17% | Sunny |
| Sun, 6 PM PDT | 40°F | 15 mph N (0°) | 23 mph | 0% | 23% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 7 PM PDT | 38°F | 14 mph N (0°) | 21 mph | 0% | 21% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 8 PM PDT | 37°F | 14 mph NNE (23°) | 21 mph | 0% | 23% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 9 PM PDT | 33°F | 14 mph NNE (23°) | 21 mph | 1% | 24% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 10 PM PDT | 30°F | 13 mph NNE (23°) | 20 mph | 0% | 28% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sun, 11 PM PDT | 29°F | 12 mph NNE (23°) | 17 mph | 0% | 28% | Partly Cloudy |
| Mon, 12 AM PDT | 27°F | 12 mph NNE (23°) | 17 mph | 0% | 18% | Mostly Clear |
| Mon, 1 AM PDT | 26°F | 10 mph NNE (23°) | 16 mph | 0% | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| Mon, 2 AM PDT | 25°F | 9 mph NNE (23°) | 14 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Mon, 3 AM PDT | 25°F | 9 mph N (0°) | 14 mph | 0% | 6% | Mostly Clear |
| Mon, 4 AM PDT | 23°F | 9 mph N (0°) | 14 mph | 0% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| Mon, 5 AM PDT | 22°F | 7 mph NNE (23°) | 10 mph | 0% | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| Mon, 6 AM PDT | 21°F | 7 mph NNE (23°) | 10 mph | 0% | 12% | Sunny |
| Mon, 7 AM PDT | 19°F | 7 mph NNE (23°) | 10 mph | 0% | 12% | Sunny |
| Mon, 8 AM PDT | 23°F | 7 mph NNE (23°) | 10 mph | 0% | 10% | Sunny |
| Mon, 9 AM PDT | 27°F | 9 mph NNE (23°) | 14 mph | 0% | 6% | Sunny |
| Mon, 10 AM PDT | 34°F | 12 mph NNE (23°) | 17 mph | 0% | 19% | 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 | Today 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) | 44° | 18° | 47° | 19° | 58° | 28° | 66° | 31° | 70° | 34° | 72° | 34° | 69° | 32° |
| Wind | NNE 17 to 21 mph | NNE 7 to 15 mph | NNE 7 to 13 mph | N 2 to 12 mph | WNW 2 to 7 mph | NNE 3 to 7 mph | NNE 2 to 6 mph | NE 6 mph | E 2 to 6 mph | ENE 5 mph | SE 6 mph | SSE 3 mph | SSW 2 to 7 mph | NNW 5 mph |
| Gusts | 31 mph | 23 mph | 20 mph | 17 mph | 10 mph | 10 mph | 10 mph | 10 mph | 8 mph | 7 mph | 10 mph | 7 mph | 12 mph | 12 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Merritt Reservoir. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Nearby river temperature: 37.9°F at JACKSON CREEK NEAR LENZ, OR (24.0 mi away) · Oct 11, 11:00 AM UTC
Fair for fishing (68/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Sky is partly cloudy (16% cloud cover). Working against it: Air temperature 37°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.
Fair for boating (62/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Gusts to 30 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.
Good for sailing (82/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 20 mph from the NNE is workable but not ideal. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Fair for kayaking (58/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Gusts to 30 mph. Air temperature 37°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 NE Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Merritt Reservoir is a premier freshwater reservoir in NE & OR, offering reliable water access and productive fishing throughout the spring, summer, and fall. The lake's surface character changes with shifting winds, offering glassy morning conditions for paddlers and active afternoon breezes for sailing. Public recreation is overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 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 Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout. 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 Merritt Reservoir 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, 10:12 AM PDT