Lake Erie at Buffalo Water Level
NOAA CO-OPS (Tides & Currents) · New York
Latest reading Oct 26, 6:42 PM · elevation
Lake Erie at Buffalo is at 571.30 ft today, 0.9 ft higher than a year ago. It has fallen 0.07 ft since yesterday.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelReading
Lake Erie at Buffalo fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 6:49 PM ETWater 60°F, level steady, light W wind — excellent fall fishing day (8/10), best window 7:52 AM–8:52 AM (moonset near sunrise).
Water 60°F, level steady, light ENE wind — good fall fishing day (7/10), best window 6:21 PM–7:21 PM (moonrise near sunset).
- Water temp60°Fmeasured Oct 26, 6:42 PM · the operator
- Air temphigh 55°F / low 44°FMostly Sunny
- WindLight W6–12 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 21
- Level571.30 ftLevel steady (−0.07 ft in 24 h)
Official New York fishing report: NYSDEC — Freshwater fishing & regional fishing hotlines
Best fishing times today
Today is an excellent fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
8/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:42 AM · Sunset 6:15 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon underfoot12:22 PM–2:22 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:52 AM–8:52 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:42 PM–6:42 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 8/10Excellent | Major 12:22 PM–2:22 PM Minor 7:52 AM–8:52 AM · 5:42 PM–6:42 PM Light wind 6–12 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 12:50 AM–2:50 AM · 1:20 PM–3:20 PM Minor 9:13 AM–10:13 AM · 6:21 PM–7:21 PM Light wind 6–9 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 1:51 AM–3:51 AM · 2:23 PM–4:23 PM Minor 10:31 AM–11:31 AM · 7:11 PM–8:11 PM Calm wind 1–5 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 5/10Fair | Major 2:55 AM–4:55 AM · 3:27 PM–5:27 PM Minor 11:43 AM–12:43 PM · 8:13 PM–9:13 PM Moderate wind 12–14 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:00 AM–6:00 AM · 4:31 PM–6:31 PM Minor 12:41 PM–1:41 PM · 9:25 PM–10:25 PM Light wind 5–8 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:02 AM–7:02 AM · 5:31 PM–7:31 PM Minor 1:27 PM–2:27 PM · 10:42 PM–11:42 PM Calm wind 2–5 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:59 AM–6:59 AM · 5:27 PM–7:27 PM Minor 1:03 PM–2:03 PM · 10:59 PM–11:59 PM Light wind 5–6 mph |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the lake level is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · level within ±0.25 ft in 24 h +1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 3 |
| Today | 8, rounded | 8/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page; water temperature reported by the operator. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 42.88, -78.89 (moon times from astronomical equations, Lake Erie at Buffalo local time).
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
7/10
Waning gibbous · 97% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:43 AM · Sunset 6:14 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:50 AM–2:50 AM
- Moon underfoot1:20 PM–3:20 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset9:13 AM–10:13 AM
- Moonrise6:21 PM–7:21 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 27 | 7/10Good | Major 12:50 AM–2:50 AM · 1:20 PM–3:20 PM Minor 9:13 AM–10:13 AM · 6:21 PM–7:21 PM Light wind 6–9 mph |
|---|---|---|
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 1:51 AM–3:51 AM · 2:23 PM–4:23 PM Minor 10:31 AM–11:31 AM · 7:11 PM–8:11 PM Calm wind 1–5 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 5/10Fair | Major 2:55 AM–4:55 AM · 3:27 PM–5:27 PM Minor 11:43 AM–12:43 PM · 8:13 PM–9:13 PM Moderate wind 12–14 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:00 AM–6:00 AM · 4:31 PM–6:31 PM Minor 12:41 PM–1:41 PM · 9:25 PM–10:25 PM Light wind 5–8 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:02 AM–7:02 AM · 5:31 PM–7:31 PM Minor 1:27 PM–2:27 PM · 10:42 PM–11:42 PM Calm wind 2–5 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:59 AM–6:59 AM · 5:27 PM–7:27 PM Minor 1:03 PM–2:03 PM · 10:59 PM–11:59 PM Light wind 5–6 mph |
| MonNov 2 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:52 AM–7:52 AM · 6:17 PM–8:17 PM Minor 1:31 PM–2:31 PM Light wind 6–6 mph |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the lake level is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonrise × sunset +1) | 1 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 1.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · level within ±0.25 ft in 24 h +1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 3 |
| Today | 7, rounded | 7/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page; water temperature reported by the operator. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 42.88, -78.89 (moon times from astronomical equations, Lake Erie at Buffalo local time).
Weather & wind at Lake Erie at Buffalo
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- Tonight44°Mostly CloudyWind N 6 to 9 mphRain 5%
- Tuesday55° / 46°Mostly SunnyWind NE 6 to 9 mphRain 3%
- Wednesday64° / 57°Partly SunnyWind S 1 to 5 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 42.877, -78.890 (grid BUF), issued Oct 26, 3:57 PM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
Past 12 months
daily readings from NOAA CO-OPS (Tides & Currents)- Today571.30 ft
- Same date last year570.38 ft+0.9 ft change
- 12-month high573.46 ftDec 28, 2025
- 12-month low569.82 ftFeb 18, 2026
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 571.30 | −0.11 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 571.41 | +0.09 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 571.33 | +0.15 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 571.17 | −0.27 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 571.45 | +0.15 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 571.29 | +0.02 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 571.27 | −0.50 |
| Tue Sep 29 | 571.77 | +0.08 |
| Mon Sep 28 | 571.70 | +0.06 |
| Sun Sep 27 | 571.64 | +0.09 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
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Nearby lakes & rivers
- Tonawanda Creek at Rapids20 mi · River59.0 cfs50% of normal
- Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda29 mi · River127 cfs44% of normal
- Genesee River at Portageville48 mi · River528 cfs120% of normal
- Allegheny River at Salamanca51 mi · River332 cfs35% of normal
- Mount Morris Lake51 mi · Lake · Mount Morris589.44 ft−3.45 ft vs normal
- Allegheny River at Red House53 mi · River7.55 ftstage 7.55 ft
Guides
All guides →About this data
- Source
- NOAA CO-OPS (Tides & Currents)
- Location
- 42.8774, -78.8905 · New York
- Measures
- Reservoir water-surface elevation, feet above sea level (IGLD 1985)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 6:42 PM local time
- History
- 370 days on file since 2025-09-26
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 6:49 PM ET
Source: NOAA CO-OPS (Tides & Currents) (official page). Operator data is preliminary and may be revised. Great Lakes levels are measured against the International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD 1985); NOAA CO-OPS publishes 6-minute water levels and verified daily means. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.