Overview

Illinois Beach State Park is Illinois' only state park on Lake Michigan, near Zion. Long sandy beach with waves in north or east winds.

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Spot forecast for Illinois Beach State Park / Lake Michigan

Sunrise 07:10 · Sunset 18:01

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< 7 kn7–12 kn13–20 kn21–30 kn31–40 kn41+ kn Gusts Your minimum: 7 kn

Forecasts provided by Open-Meteo

Illinois Beach State Park / Lake Michigan: when to go?

Rideable days and hours computed for a minimum wind of 7 knots · log in to set your own (foil, twin-tip…)

Season · peak

318h

in March · 30.5 rideable days

The spot works year-round: 28 rideable days a month on average, at 14 °C. It peaks in March, with 318 hours of usable wind.

Rideable days per month

Wind strength when it is rideable

7-12 knots · 80%13-20 knots · 20%21-30 knots · under 1%

When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 7 and 12 knots — 80% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is January, at -1 °C. The wettest month is July, with 175 mm.

Monthly averages: Illinois Beach State Park / Lake Michigan

Monthly averages — Illinois Beach State Park / Lake Michigan — averaged over 2 years of records — Weather data by Open-Meteo.com — How it is calculated
Month	Rideable days	Usable wind	Temperature	Rain
January	28.0	251 h	-1 °C	55 mm
February	27.5	257 h	4 °C	23 mm
March	30.5	318 h	9 °C	97 mm
April	29.5	337 h	13 °C	81 mm
May	29.0	298 h	18 °C	79 mm
June	28.5	284 h	25 °C	111 mm
July	24.0	197 h	27 °C	175 mm
August	29.5	252 h	26 °C	29 mm
September	25.5	211 h	24 °C	31 mm
October	30.0	280 h	18 °C	38 mm
November	26.0	251 h	9 °C	64 mm
December	27.0	224 h	1 °C	43 mm

Photo gallery of Illinois Beach State Park / Lake Michigan

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Technical details of Illinois Beach State Park / Lake Michigan spot

The spot works with winds from N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW, NNW.

Rideable Not rideable

Spot opening date · Required level

Spot opening date: Open all year round
Required level: Intermediate

On the water

Great Lake with waves in north winds. Sandy bottom. Freshwater. Season April to November.

Hazards

Dangerous coastal currents. Powerful waves. Fast-developing storms. Cold water — wetsuit recommended.

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Winthrop Harbor Buoy, IL3.8 kmsource NOAA Buoy

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Additional stations

Chicago/Waukegan Regional Airport6.5 km

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source noaa
GW1815 ZION4.5 km

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Webcams near Illinois Beach State Park / Lake Michigan

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Nearby spots

All spots: Illinois

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Illinois Beach State Park / Lake Michigan kitesurf, wingfoil and surf spot