A loaded question, because even freighters are probably seeking safe harbor right now. Here's NOAA's text forecast for the eastern end of the lake tonight. And note there might be some snow in the mix.
Lake Erie open waters from Ripley to Buffalo, NY: West gales to 40 knots becoming northwest and diminishing to 20 to 25 knots after midnight. A chance of rain or snow showers. Waves 12 to 15 feet subsiding to 7 to 10 feet.
The bad news is this particular gale blew up right during the peak of the smallmouth spawn. The shallows will be wrecked for several days, which means a lot of folks who made the pilgrimage this year will be stuck in the hotel watching TV, if they haven't headed home already.
