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Potholes Reservoir is one of the reservoirs LakeRadar tracks in Washington. The deepest point reaches about 70 feet, and the surface sits near 1,046 feet above sea level. The water surface spans about 14,200 acres, making it a large body of water. Research-grade observations nearby include Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Black Crappie, and Bluegill. Other waters in the region include Potholes Reservoir and Moses Lake. LakeRadar pulls readings from a mapped water gauge, so current water data is shown when the station reports. Below you will find an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. This page combines the live forecast, wind, and conditions for Potholes Reservoir so you can plan a visit.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 3:39 AM PDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Excellent (91/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (95/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 92/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the north. Dusk hours (18:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 56° | 55° | 55° | 54° | 54° | 54° | 56° | 60° | 62° | 62° | 65° | 65° | 65° | 65° | 64° | 62° | 59° | 57° | 55° | 53° | 51° | 49° | 48° | 48° |
| Wind (kts) | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Direction | S | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| Gusts (kts) | 7 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 3 AM PDT | 56°F | 7 mph S (180°) | 8 mph | 0% | 39% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 4 AM PDT | 55°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 8 mph | 0% | 36% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 AM PDT | 55°F | 9 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 4% | 28% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 AM PDT | 54°F | 9 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 4% | 40% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM PDT | 54°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 17 mph | 4% | 55% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM PDT | 54°F | 12 mph SW (225°) | 23 mph | 4% | 27% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM PDT | 56°F | 14 mph SW (225°) | 25 mph | 4% | 22% | Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM PDT | 60°F | 15 mph SW (225°) | 28 mph | 4% | 24% | Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM PDT | 62°F | 14 mph SW (225°) | 28 mph | 4% | 55% | Patchy Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 12 PM PDT | 62°F | 14 mph SW (225°) | 27 mph | 4% | 64% | Patchy Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 1 PM PDT | 65°F | 15 mph SW (225°) | 29 mph | 4% | 71% | Patchy Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 2 PM PDT | 65°F | 17 mph W (270°) | 32 mph | 4% | 69% | Patchy Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 3 PM PDT | 65°F | 17 mph W (270°) | 31 mph | 4% | 82% | Patchy Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 4 PM PDT | 65°F | 17 mph W (270°) | 29 mph | 4% | 73% | Patchy Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 5 PM PDT | 64°F | 15 mph W (270°) | 27 mph | 0% | 69% | Patchy Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 6 PM PDT | 62°F | 14 mph W (270°) | 24 mph | 0% | 65% | Patchy Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 7 PM PDT | 59°F | 13 mph W (270°) | 23 mph | 0% | 44% | Patchy Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 8 PM PDT | 57°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 18 mph | 0% | 25% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM PDT | 55°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 18 mph | 0% | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM PDT | 53°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 18 mph | 0% | 13% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM PDT | 51°F | 9 mph W (270°) | 14 mph | 0% | 14% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM PDT | 49°F | 9 mph W (270°) | 14 mph | 0% | 16% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM PDT | 48°F | 9 mph W (270°) | 14 mph | 0% | 10% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM PDT | 48°F | 8 mph W (270°) | 10 mph | 0% | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM PDT | 47°F | 7 mph W (270°) | 9 mph | 0% | 14% | Mostly 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) | 53° | 67° | 43° | 56° | 45° | 54° | 39° | 59° | 38° | 59° | 42° | 63° | 43° | 63° |
| Wind | S 9 mph | SW 9 to 17 mph | W 5 to 14 mph | NW 5 mph | N 5 to 26 mph | NE 14 to 25 mph | N 7 to 14 mph | N 2 to 8 mph | SE 3 mph | SE 3 mph | SW 3 mph | W 3 mph | NW 3 mph | N 3 mph |
| Gusts | 15 mph | 32 mph | 24 mph | 14 mph | 36 mph | 38 mph | 29 mph | 9 mph | 6 mph | 9 mph | 9 mph | 13 mph | 9 mph | 8 mph |
| Precip % | 4% | 4% | 1% | 5% | 9% | 9% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 5% | 12% | 9% | 6% | 0% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (86/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the south. 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 (95/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the south. Gusts to 8 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.
Excellent for sailing (91/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the S is workable but not ideal. Gusts are within 1 mph of sustained wind, so the breeze is steady. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (94/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the south. Gusts to 8 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 WA Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Potholes Reservoir stands as a well-regarded freshwater reservoir in WA, recognized for its rich fishery and accessible open-water recreation. The waterbody offers excellent conditions for troll fishing, drift casting, and pleasure boating. Shoreline access points and public park amenities are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is required for anglers age 15+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Mandatory Clean, Drain & Dry inspection. Out-of-area craft require on-site Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS Quagga/Zebra) inspection or decontamination before launch. USCG life jackets required for all.
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, Smallmouth Bass, Black Crappie, Bluegill. 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 Potholes 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 9, 3:39 AM PDT