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Prior Lake is a natural lake located in Minnesota.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 10, 10:04 PM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Good (78/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Fishing (86/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 94/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the west. Dawn hours (07:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 76° | 75° | 74° | 72° | 72° | 71° | 71° | 69° | 69° | 68° | 68° | 71° | 73° | 77° | 80° | 80° | 82° | 84° | 85° | 84° | 80° | 79° | 76° | 75° |
| Wind (kts) | 9 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 9 |
| Direction | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | S | S | S | S |
| Gusts (kts) | 27 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, 10 PM CDT | 76°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 31 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 11 PM CDT | 75°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 31 mph | 0% | 3% | Clear |
| Sun, 12 AM CDT | 74°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 0% | 3% | Clear |
| Sun, 1 AM CDT | 72°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 0% | 0% | Clear |
| Sun, 2 AM CDT | 72°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 28 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sun, 3 AM CDT | 71°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 0% | 0% | Clear |
| Sun, 4 AM CDT | 71°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 25 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sun, 5 AM CDT | 69°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 24 mph | 0% | 11% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 6 AM CDT | 69°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Sun, 7 AM CDT | 68°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 21 mph | 0% | 0% | Sunny |
| Sun, 8 AM CDT | 68°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 0% | 4% | Sunny |
| Sun, 9 AM CDT | 71°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 21 mph | 0% | 0% | Sunny |
| Sun, 10 AM CDT | 73°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 21 mph | 0% | 6% | Sunny |
| Sun, 11 AM CDT | 77°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 22 mph | 0% | 4% | Sunny |
| Sun, 12 PM CDT | 80°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 22 mph | 0% | 6% | Sunny |
| Sun, 1 PM CDT | 80°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 20 mph | 0% | 16% | Sunny |
| Sun, 2 PM CDT | 82°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 21 mph | 0% | 22% | Sunny |
| Sun, 3 PM CDT | 84°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 21 mph | 0% | 40% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 4 PM CDT | 85°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 21 mph | 0% | 38% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 5 PM CDT | 84°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 20 mph | 0% | 37% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 6 PM CDT | 80°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 17 mph | 0% | 48% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sun, 7 PM CDT | 79°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 0% | 33% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sun, 8 PM CDT | 76°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 16 mph | 0% | 55% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 9 PM CDT | 75°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 16 mph | 0% | 51% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 10 PM CDT | 73°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 16 mph | 0% | 68% | Mostly Cloudy |
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 | Tonight 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 | Friday October 16, 2026 | Friday Night October 16, 2026 | Saturday October 17, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 68° | 86° | 66° | 82° | 54° | 66° | 48° | 63° | 48° | 62° | 45° | 57° | 38° | 56° |
| Wind | S 10 to 20 mph | SSW 10 to 15 mph | SSW 5 to 10 mph | NW 5 mph | N 5 to 10 mph | NNW 5 to 10 mph | NNW 5 mph | NNE 5 mph | ENE 5 mph | ESE 10 mph | WSW 5 to 10 mph | NW 15 to 20 mph | NNW 5 to 15 mph | NW 5 to 10 mph |
| Gusts | 35 mph | 23 mph | 17 mph | 10 mph | 15 mph | 14 mph | 12 mph | 14 mph | 12 mph | 18 mph | 18 mph | 35 mph | 23 mph | 12 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 16% | 24% | 6% | 4% | 11% | 24% | 47% | 47% | 20% | 12% | 5% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Prior Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Good for fishing (86/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 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.
Fair for boating (73/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 10 mph from the south. Working against it: Gusts to 31 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 (78/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the S is in the preferred sailing range. No active official alerts for this lake. Working against it: Gusts exceed sustained wind by 21 mph, making the breeze puffy. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Fair for kayaking (72/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the south. No active official alerts for this lake. Working against it: Gusts to 31 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 MN Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Prior Lake is an important freshwater lake in MN, overseen by state and local natural resource agencies to balance public recreation with natural resource stewardship. The waterbody offers excellent conditions for sport fishing, cruising, and paddling during favorable weather windows. Checking real-time water levels and ramp clearances ensures safe navigation along the shoreline.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) 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 Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Common Carp. 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 Prior 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 10, 10:04 PM CDT