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Owasco Lake sits in New York and is classified as a lake. It reaches a maximum depth of roughly 177 feet at an elevation of about 712 feet. Its recorded surface area is approximately 6,665 acres. Research-grade observations nearby include Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Northern Pike, and Smallmouth Bass. If you are planning a trip, Skaneateles Lake, Cayuga Lake, and Seneca Lake are also nearby. Water data on this page comes from a mapped monitoring station near the lake. 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 Owasco Lake.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 9, 9:19 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 (84/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (96/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 94/100 across these hours. Wind 6 mph from the southeast. Dusk hours (19:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 55° | 57° | 60° | 61° | 61° | 62° | 61° | 60° | 56° | 54° | 53° | 51° | 50° | 48° | 47° | 45° | 43° | 42° | 41° | 41° | 40° | 41° | 46° | 52° |
| Wind (kts) | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Direction | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | — | — | — | — | — | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE |
| Gusts (kts) | 15 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Precip % | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 11 AM EDT | 55°F | 12 mph W (270°) | 17 mph | 0% | 12% | Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM EDT | 57°F | 12 mph W (270°) | 20 mph | 1% | 15% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM EDT | 60°F | 14 mph W (270°) | 22 mph | 1% | 23% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM EDT | 61°F | 14 mph W (270°) | 23 mph | 1% | 35% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM EDT | 61°F | 14 mph W (270°) | 23 mph | 1% | 30% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM EDT | 62°F | 14 mph W (270°) | 23 mph | 1% | 18% | Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM EDT | 61°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 21 mph | 0% | 16% | Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM EDT | 60°F | 9 mph W (270°) | 17 mph | 0% | 15% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 7 PM EDT | 56°F | 6 mph W (270°) | 13 mph | 0% | 17% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 8 PM EDT | 54°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 8 mph | 1% | 12% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM EDT | 53°F | 3 mph W (270°) | 7 mph | 0% | 10% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM EDT | 51°F | 2 mph W (270°) | 6 mph | 0% | 13% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM EDT | 50°F | 2 mph W (270°) | 5 mph | 0% | 5% | Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM EDT | 48°F | 1 mph W (270°) | 4 mph | 0% | 6% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM EDT | 47°F | Calm | 2 mph | 0% | 7% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM EDT | 45°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 12% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM EDT | 43°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 6% | Areas Of Fog |
| Sat, 4 AM EDT | 42°F | Calm | 1 mph | 1% | 15% | Areas Of Fog |
| Sat, 5 AM EDT | 41°F | Calm | 1 mph | 1% | 22% | Areas Of Fog |
| Sat, 6 AM EDT | 41°F | 1 mph SE (135°) | 2 mph | 1% | 18% | Patchy Fog |
| Sat, 7 AM EDT | 40°F | 1 mph SE (135°) | 2 mph | 1% | 25% | Patchy Fog |
| Sat, 8 AM EDT | 41°F | 2 mph SE (135°) | 5 mph | 0% | 31% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sat, 9 AM EDT | 46°F | 2 mph SE (135°) | 5 mph | 0% | 25% | Sunny |
| Sat, 10 AM EDT | 52°F | 3 mph SE (135°) | 6 mph | 0% | 20% | Sunny |
| Sat, 11 AM EDT | 56°F | 3 mph SE (135°) | 7 mph | 0% | 16% | 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 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) | 63° | 40° | 66° | 52° | 62° | 53° | 66° | 53° | 66° | 47° | 59° | 43° | 61° | 48° |
| Wind | W 7 to 14 mph | W 0 to 9 mph | SE 1 to 5 mph | SE 5 to 13 mph | SE 13 mph | SE 1 to 12 mph | NW 1 to 5 mph | SW 1 to 6 mph | SW 7 to 10 mph | NW 7 to 10 mph | NW 9 mph | S 0 to 8 mph | S 1 to 10 mph | S 10 to 15 mph |
| Gusts | 23 mph | 17 mph | 10 mph | 21 mph | 22 mph | 21 mph | 10 mph | 10 mph | 18 mph | 17 mph | 17 mph | 14 mph | 18 mph | 18 mph |
| Precip % | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 86% | 86% | 29% | 27% | 54% | 54% | 13% | 13% | 16% | 37% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (79/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 12 mph from the west. 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.
Good for boating (84/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 12 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.
Excellent for sailing (96/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 12 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 (82/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 12 mph from the west. 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.
Owasco Lake offers an inviting freshwater retreat in NY, 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 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 Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Northern Pike, Smallmouth 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 Owasco 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, 11:13 AM EDT