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Upper Bear Creek Reservoir sits in Alabama and is classified as a reservoir. Its recorded surface area is approximately 1,850 acres. Coverage here includes an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Other waters in the region include Bear Creek Lake, Cedar Creek Lake, and Lewis Smith Lake. This page combines the live forecast, wind, and conditions for Upper Bear Creek Reservoir so you can plan a visit.
Updated
Alerts are published by official agencies and shown verbatim. View the official alert source.
Wind Advisory issued October 9 at 11:34AM CDT until October 11 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Huntsville AL
Overall Poor (38/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Fishing (53/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 85/100 across these hours. Wind 10 mph from the east. Dusk hours (19:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 78° | 78° | 77° | 72° | 70° | 68° | 67° | 66° | 64° | 62° | 60° | 59° | 59° | 58° | 59° | 59° | 60° | 61° | 62° | 63° | 64° | 64° | 65° | 65° |
| Wind (kts) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Direction | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | NE | NE | NE | NE | E | E | E | E | E | SE | SE |
| Gusts (kts) | 19 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 27 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 24 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 6% | 7% | 9% | 19% | 24% | 30% | 45% | 84% | 98% | 92% | 97% | 91% | 100% | 94% | 79% | 80% | 79% | 69% | 92% | 69% | 52% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 4 PM CDT | 78°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 22 mph | 0% | 87% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 PM CDT | 78°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 24 mph | 0% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 PM CDT | 77°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 24 mph | 0% | 94% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM CDT | 72°F | 10 mph E (90°) | 24 mph | 6% | 95% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM CDT | 70°F | 10 mph E (90°) | 25 mph | 7% | 92% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM CDT | 68°F | 10 mph E (90°) | 25 mph | 9% | 93% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM CDT | 67°F | 10 mph E (90°) | 24 mph | 19% | 92% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Fri, 11 PM CDT | 66°F | 10 mph E (90°) | 25 mph | 24% | 93% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 12 AM CDT | 64°F | 10 mph E (90°) | 27 mph | 30% | 93% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 1 AM CDT | 62°F | 10 mph E (90°) | 27 mph | 45% | 94% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 2 AM CDT | 60°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 31 mph | 84% | 94% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 3 AM CDT | 59°F | 15 mph ENE (68°) | 35 mph | 98% | 92% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 4 AM CDT | 59°F | 20 mph ENE (68°) | 37 mph | 92% | 91% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 5 AM CDT | 58°F | 20 mph NE (45°) | 39 mph | 97% | 92% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 6 AM CDT | 59°F | 25 mph NE (45°) | 40 mph | 91% | 92% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 7 AM CDT | 59°F | 25 mph NE (45°) | 40 mph | 100% | 92% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 8 AM CDT | 60°F | 25 mph NE (45°) | 40 mph | 94% | 87% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 9 AM CDT | 61°F | 25 mph ENE (68°) | 39 mph | 79% | 91% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sat, 10 AM CDT | 62°F | 20 mph ENE (68°) | 37 mph | 80% | 93% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 11 AM CDT | 63°F | 20 mph ENE (68°) | 35 mph | 79% | 91% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 12 PM CDT | 64°F | 20 mph ENE (68°) | 33 mph | 69% | 92% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sat, 1 PM CDT | 64°F | 15 mph E (90°) | 32 mph | 92% | 79% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 2 PM CDT | 65°F | 15 mph ESE (113°) | 29 mph | 69% | 84% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sat, 3 PM CDT | 65°F | 15 mph ESE (113°) | 28 mph | 52% | 64% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 4 PM CDT | 65°F | 15 mph ESE (113°) | 24 mph | 65% | 86% | Rain Showers Likely |
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 | This Afternoon 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) | 82° | 58° | 67° | 58° | 76° | 58° | 84° | 59° | 86° | 63° | 87° | 63° | 86° | 61° |
| Wind | E 15 mph | ENE 10 to 20 mph | E 15 to 25 mph | S 10 mph | W 10 to 15 mph | WSW 0 to 5 mph | W 0 to 5 mph | SW 0 to 5 mph | WSW 5 mph | SW 0 to 5 mph | SSW 0 to 5 mph | SSE 0 to 5 mph | S 5 mph | S 5 mph |
| Gusts | 25 mph | 40 mph | 40 mph | 23 mph | 21 mph | 14 mph | 13 mph | 8 mph | 12 mph | 8 mph | 9 mph | 10 mph | 12 mph | 12 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 98% | 100% | 70% | 11% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 3% | 4% | 8% | 16% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Upper Bear Creek Reservoir. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Poor for fishing (53/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Afternoon hours (16:00 local). The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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.
Very Poor / Avoid for boating (30/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active severe alert: Flood Watch. Wind Advisory is in effect for this lake; the score is already below the 30 cap. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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.
Very Poor / Avoid for sailing (30/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 15 mph from the E is in the preferred sailing range. Gusts exceed sustained wind by 7 mph, making the breeze puffy. Working against it: Active severe alert: Flood Watch. Wind Advisory is in effect for this lake. Sailing scores are capped at 30. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Very Poor / Avoid for kayaking (30/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Air temperature 78°F. Working against it: Active severe alert: Flood Watch. Wind Advisory is in effect for this lake. Kayaking scores are capped at 30. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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 AL Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Upper Bear Creek Reservoir provides vital open-water recreation for visitors across AL, offering public boat ramps and scenic shoreline amenities. Anglers target an assortment of freshwater species while pleasure boaters cruise its open basins. Facility operations and resource conservation are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) 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 Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, White Crappie, Green Sunfish. 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 Upper Bear Creek 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, 4:47 PM CDT