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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Rend Lake (Illinois). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 83°F · Low 63°F
Peak gusts: 6 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 78% · Barometer: 30.06 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Rend Lake.
Excellent for boating (97/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the south-southeast. 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 fishing (92/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the south-southeast. Morning hours (09:00 local). 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 kayaking (97/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the south-southeast. 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. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. 0% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | 63°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 10 AM | 70°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 11 AM | 73°F | 6 mph | S | ⚡ 10 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 12 PM | 76°F | 8 mph | S | ⚡ 12 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 1 PM | 79°F | 9 mph | S | ⚡ 13 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 2 PM | 81°F | 9 mph | S | ⚡ 13 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 3 PM | 82°F | 9 mph | S | ⚡ 13 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 4 PM | 83°F | 9 mph | S | ⚡ 13 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 5 PM | 82°F | 8 mph | S | ⚡ 10 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 6 PM | 80°F | 7 mph | SE | ⚡ 9 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 7 PM | 77°F | 6 mph | SE | ⚡ 8 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 8 PM | 73°F | 6 mph | SE | ⚡ 8 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 9 PM | 71°F | 6 mph | SE | ⚡ 8 mph | 1% | Partly Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 70°F | 7 mph | SE | ⚡ 9 mph | 1% | Partly Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 69°F | 7 mph | SE | ⚡ 9 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 69°F | 7 mph | SE | ⚡ 9 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 1 AM | 68°F | 7 mph | SE | ⚡ 9 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 2 AM | 68°F | 7 mph | SE | ⚡ 9 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 3 AM | 67°F | 6 mph | SE | ⚡ 9 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 4 AM | 67°F | 6 mph | SE | ⚡ 8 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 5 AM | 66°F | 6 mph | SE | ⚡ 8 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 6 AM | 65°F | 6 mph | SE | ⚡ 8 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 7 AM | 65°F | 5 mph | SE | ⚡ 7 mph | 2% | Cloudy |
| 8 AM | 64°F | 6 mph | SE | ⚡ 9 mph | 2% | Mostly Cloudy |
Mirror-like to gentle rippled water. Optimal conditions for paddleboarding, kayaking, swimming, and beginner water skiing or wakeboarding.
Pleasant breeze with small wavelets. Great for sailing, pleasure cruising, pontoon boats, and trolling for trout and bass.
Moderate waves with whitecaps likely. Requires skilled boat handling; kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards should stay close to sheltered bays.
Steep waves, cold spray, and hazardous open water. Avoid small craft voyages. Always check official National Weather Service lake wind advisories.
Sunny. High near 84, with temperatures falling to around 82 in the afternoon. South southeast wind 3 to 9 mph.
Partly cloudy. Low around 64, with temperatures rising to around 66 overnight. Southeast wind around 7 mph.
A chance of rain showers after 4pm. Cloudy. High near 75, with temperatures falling to around 71 in the afternoon. East southeast wind 5 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Northeast wind 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
A chance of rain showers before 7am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. North northwest wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Southwest wind 0 to 5 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 85. Southwest wind 3 to 13 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 70. South southwest wind 10 to 14 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 84. Southwest wind 9 to 13 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 67. South southeast wind around 12 mph.
A chance of rain showers after 7am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Southeast wind 8 to 12 mph.
A chance of rain showers before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. South southeast wind around 13 mph.
A chance of rain showers between 7am and 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. South southwest wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. West southwest wind around 14 mph.
Rend Lake currently reports 52°F with wind velocity near 5 mph from the SE. Atmospheric forecasts and 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines are updated hourly from the National Weather Service gridpoint matching the lake's coordinates.
At Rend Lake and surrounding mountain valleys, diurnal heating of the surrounding terrain causes strong thermal pressure differentials known locally as afternoon breezes (such as the Washoe Zephyr at Lake Tahoe). Wind speeds typically peak between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM before calming near sunset.
For stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), canoeing, and light kayaks, winds under 7 mph (light breeze) offer the safest, glassiest surface conditions. Between 8–14 mph, small wavelets develop, suitable for sailboats and powerboats. Winds exceeding 15 mph create steep whitecaps and rapid drift; winds over 21 mph warrant small craft warnings.
All weather and wind telemetry is fetched directly from the National Weather Service (NOAA - WFO PAH) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Rend Lake without artificial smoothing or third-party estimates.
Yes. Live hydrological sensor readings, 30-day elevation histories, full-pool benchmarks, and USGS station provenance are available on our dedicated Rend Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Rend Lake Water Level & Temperature →