Lake Ferry Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s on the menu for Lake Ferry (Lake Ferry). It’s a sandbar setup, exposed to the south, and it’s a fairly consistent spot, so when the conditions line up, it can really deliver. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing shocking when you get in.

The first real window of opportunity hits us on Wednesday, August 26th. The morning session is looking clean with a 4 ft SSW swell and a super long 15-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is a light cross-off from the NNW at 9 mph, which is a major positive for keeping the faces clean. The combined energy is moderate at 513. It’s not huge, but it’s a solid start.

Now, Thursday, August 27th is the standout. This is the one to circle on the calendar. Both the morning and afternoon are looking excellent for experienced surfers. We’ve got a 6 ft to 7 ft swell from the SSW and S directions, with a very long period of 17 and 16 seconds respectively. That’s a lot of energy in the water – the combined energy is a very strong 2203 in the morning and 2049 in the afternoon. Winds are light to gentle cross-off, keeping the surf clean. This is a serious session if you’ve got the skills.

After that, things get messy. Friday the 28th starts with a fresh breeze and drops off fast, with rain showers and poor conditions in the afternoon. The weekend is a write-off for quality surf, with mostly light to moderate winds but very weak, ordinary waves. The swell energy drops to just 163 on Saturday and 62 on Sunday – that’s weak energy. There’s a big gap here with no real recommendations.

Monday, August 31st, the swell kicks back in, but it gets too big. The morning shows an 12 ft SSW swell with a massive 3501 energy reading, but it’s too big for the break. The afternoon eases to a still-chunky 8 ft, but it’s marginal. Tuesday, September 1st is even more extreme: a 16 ft SSW swell with 9230 energy – that’s for experts only, and even then, it’s probably too big for paddle surfing here. The wind is light and offshore in the morning, but the size is the story.

The rest of the first week of September is mostly poor or marginal. The wind is often fresh. The energy is moderate at best, with the occasional session like Wednesday, September 2nd morning showing a 5 ft S swell with 613 energy, but it’s still marginal. There’s a glimmer on Saturday, September 5th morning with a clean 3 ft S swell, 13-second period, and a light offshore wind from the NNE – that’s a nice, small, clean window for a longboard or a funboard. The energy is moderate at 437. After that, it’s back to ordinary conditions through to the end of the outlook.

So, to wrap it up: the absolute best bet is Thursday, August 27th. That’s your standout. If you miss that, the small window on Saturday, September 5th morning is worth a look for a clean, gentle session. The rest of the 16 days is mostly a waiting game.

Rusty, signing off.

Read more