Ludington Buoy Conditions And Harbor Gauge 9087023
NOAA CO-OPS station 9087023 is a non-tidal Ludington harbor gauge, while NDBC station 45024 is the offshore Ludington buoy. Use the provider identifier and observation time with every value so harbor water level and weather are not mistaken for offshore waves or water temperature.
- Harbor reference
- NOAA CO-OPS station 9087023 at Ludington is a non-tidal Great Lakes water-level and meteorological station.
- Offshore reference
- NDBC identifies station 45024 as Ludington Buoy, MI.
- 9087023 sensor boundary
- Its current NOAA inventory lists wind, air temperature, pressure, humidity and water level, but not water temperature.
- Keep every value attached
- Retain the provider, station ID, location and observation time when comparing harbor and offshore conditions.
- Planning boundary
- Neither station is a catch guarantee, navigation instruction or replacement for an active official warning.
- Next measurement
- Recheck the target query and close variants on 2026-08-15.
Start By Separating The Harbor Gauge From The Buoy
NOAA CO-OPS station 9087023 and NDBC buoy 45024 answer different questions. Station 9087023 is the shore-based Ludington reference for non-tidal water level and meteorological observations. Buoy 45024 is the offshore source. Check the source label before using a wind, wave, temperature or water-level value.
Use this distinction when learning how buoy and weather data shape fishing conditions.
Read Station 9087023 As A Non-Tidal Great Lakes Gauge
NOAA marks 9087023 as non-tidal and publishes the Great Lakes Low Water Datum for the station. Do not turn its water-level observation into a high-tide, low-tide or slack-current claim. Great Lakes water levels still change, but this station is not a coastal tide-prediction table.
Use The Documented Sensor Inventory
The current NOAA inventory for 9087023 lists wind, air temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity and water-level equipment. It does not list water temperature. If a water-temperature or wave value appears in nearby source context, confirm that it belongs to the named NDBC buoy rather than the harbor gauge.
Check Buoy 45024 For Offshore Context
NDBC identifies 45024 as Ludington Buoy, MI. Its observations can include offshore wind, waves and water temperature when the station is reporting. Those time-stamped buoy values should not be copied onto the harbor gauge or frozen into evergreen page text.
Keep Nearby Tide Guidance Out Of The Ludington Claim
A combined conditions service may show nearby sources around a saved water. That does not make a distant tide station the identity of 9087023 or create astronomical tides at Ludington. Confirm every provider ID before applying a regional source to this exact water.
Turn The Source Check Into A Trip Decision
Compare fresh harbor observations with the offshore buoy, the current National Weather Service forecast, shoreline exposure, access and the route back. A favorable number at one instrument does not describe every part of Lake Michigan or remove the need to recheck official conditions.
For that final exposure check, use wind-speed planning for fishing.
Common questions
Is NOAA station 9087023 the Ludington buoy?
No. NOAA CO-OPS 9087023 is the non-tidal Ludington harbor gauge. NDBC station 45024 is the offshore station named Ludington Buoy, MI.
Does station 9087023 report water temperature?
The current NOAA sensor inventory for 9087023 does not list a water-temperature sensor. Check the provider and station ID before assigning a nearby temperature value to the harbor gauge.
Does Ludington station 9087023 provide tide predictions?
No. NOAA marks the Great Lakes station as non-tidal. Its water level must not be described as an astronomical high tide, low tide or slack-current prediction.
What should I compare for Ludington marine conditions?
Compare the latest time-stamped harbor observations, offshore buoy observations, official weather forecast, shoreline exposure and access for the exact water you plan to visit.
Can one Ludington observation describe all of Lake Michigan?
No. Harbor and offshore instruments represent specific locations and times. Conditions can differ across the lake and along the shoreline.