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Skaneateles Lake is one of the lakes LakeRadar tracks in New York. The deepest point reaches about 315 feet, and the surface sits near 863 feet above sea level. The water surface spans about 8,960 acres, making it a mid-sized body of water. Research-grade observations nearby include Yellow Perch, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, and Common Carp. Other waters in the region include Owasco Lake, Cayuga Lake, and Cazenovia 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 Skaneateles Lake so you can plan a visit.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 6:39 AM EDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Excellent (92/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (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 | 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) | 46° | 46° | 47° | 49° | 52° | 55° | 56° | 58° | 60° | 60° | 60° | 61° | 59° | 56° | 56° | 53° | 52° | 51° | 50° | 48° | 47° | 45° | 44° | 43° |
| Wind (kts) | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Direction | SW | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gusts (kts) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Precip % | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 6 AM EDT | 46°F | 5 mph SW (225°) | 9 mph | 1% | 5% | Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM EDT | 46°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 9 mph | 1% | 18% | Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM EDT | 47°F | 6 mph W (270°) | 12 mph | 1% | 21% | Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM EDT | 49°F | 7 mph W (270°) | 14 mph | 1% | 19% | Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM EDT | 52°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 17 mph | 0% | 17% | Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM EDT | 55°F | 12 mph W (270°) | 17 mph | 0% | 13% | Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM EDT | 56°F | 12 mph W (270°) | 20 mph | 1% | 21% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM EDT | 58°F | 14 mph W (270°) | 22 mph | 1% | 25% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM EDT | 60°F | 14 mph W (270°) | 23 mph | 1% | 36% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM EDT | 60°F | 14 mph W (270°) | 24 mph | 1% | 32% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM EDT | 60°F | 14 mph W (270°) | 24 mph | 1% | 30% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM EDT | 61°F | 12 mph W (270°) | 22 mph | 1% | 12% | Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM EDT | 59°F | 9 mph W (270°) | 18 mph | 0% | 15% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 7 PM EDT | 56°F | 7 mph W (270°) | 14 mph | 0% | 29% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM EDT | 56°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 10 mph | 1% | 21% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM EDT | 53°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 8 mph | 0% | 19% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM EDT | 52°F | 3 mph W (270°) | 7 mph | 0% | 13% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM EDT | 51°F | 2 mph W (270°) | 5 mph | 0% | 6% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM EDT | 50°F | 1 mph W (270°) | 4 mph | 0% | 5% | Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM EDT | 48°F | Calm | 2 mph | 0% | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM EDT | 47°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 12% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM EDT | 45°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 6% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 4 AM EDT | 44°F | Calm | 1 mph | 1% | 27% | Patchy Fog |
| Sat, 5 AM EDT | 43°F | Calm | 1 mph | 1% | 14% | Areas Of Fog |
| Sat, 6 AM EDT | 43°F | Calm | 1 mph | 1% | 25% | Patchy Fog |
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) | 62° | 42° | 65° | 54° | 61° | 54° | 65° | 54° | 65° | 48° | 58° | 43° | 60° | 50° |
| Wind | W 5 to 14 mph | W 0 to 9 mph | SE 0 to 3 mph | SE 5 to 12 mph | SE 12 mph | SE 1 to 10 mph | NW 1 to 5 mph | SW 1 to 6 mph | SW 7 to 10 mph | NW 6 to 10 mph | NW 9 mph | W 1 to 7 mph | S 1 to 9 mph | S 9 to 16 mph |
| Gusts | 24 mph | 18 mph | 8 mph | 21 mph | 21 mph | 20 mph | 9 mph | 10 mph | 20 mph | 18 mph | 17 mph | 13 mph | 18 mph | — |
| Precip % | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 84% | 84% | 31% | 28% | 54% | 54% | 13% | 14% | 16% | 37% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Skaneateles Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Excellent for fishing (92/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the southwest. Dawn hours (06:00 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 boating (96/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the southwest. Gusts to 9 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 (84/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts are within 4 mph of sustained wind, so the breeze is steady. No active official alerts for this lake. 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 5 mph from the southwest. Gusts to 9 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 NY Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Skaneateles Lake in NY offers a welcoming freshwater setting for recreational boaters, dedicated anglers, and shoreline explorers. Its waters present diverse fishing opportunities alongside scenic vistas of the surrounding terrain. Public access facilities and shoreline parklands are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
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 Yellow Perch, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, 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 Skaneateles 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, 6:39 AM EDT