Lakes Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 33.25° S 151.56° E

Lakes Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 19 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Lakes Beach sea temperature is
18.7° C
0.4° 

Lakes Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Lakes Beach surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 12s period, S swell with 1,321 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 11s period with ENE swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Lakes Beach this week:

The surf forecast for Lakes Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Lakes Beach in the next 16 days are 2.2m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Mon 20th Jul)6ft (1.9m) 11s
Best Surf 7AM (Fri 24th Jul)7ft (2.2m) 9s
Most Powerful 1PM (Sun 26th Jul)7ft (2.2m) 12s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lakes Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Well, we’ve got a bit of a wild ride ahead at Lakes Beach. It’s a sandbar setup, so it’s exposed and can get a bit tricky, but there’s some real juice on the horizon. We’re looking at a solid 16-day window, but don’t get too excited just yet—there’s a fair wait before the first proper call.

The first real standout lands on Monday the 20th of July in the morning. The water’s sitting at about 66°F—that’s normal for this time of year, nothing wild. The swell is a chunky 6 ft from the ENE with a long 11-second period, packing a moderate energy punch (1052). But the real beauty here is the wind: glassy, dead calm. That’s the kind of morning where you just know it’s gonna be clean. The swell’s a bit much for beginners, but for experienced surfers, this is a cracker. It’s a fairly consistent spot, so hopes are high.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. From Tuesday the 21st through to Thursday the 23rd, the swell drops off and the winds get messy. There’s a little window on Wednesday the 22nd morning with a clean 4 ft from ENE (221), but it’s small and ordinary. Thursday the 23rd morning has a fresh offshore wind (12 mph) from the west, but the swell is down to 3 ft—not much to work with.

Now, things get interesting again on Friday the 24th of July. The morning brings a 6 ft swell from the south, short period at 8 seconds, but with a moderate energy reading (561) and a light offshore WSW wind at 6 mph. That’s clean and punchy, and it’s a solid option for experienced crew. The afternoon gets a bit onshore, so hit it early.

After that, we’ve got a few days of small, marginal stuff. But then, Sunday the 26th of July is a big one. The morning shows a 7 ft south swell with a very long 12-second period—that’s proper groundswell. The energy is high (1117), and the wind is gentle offshore from the SW at 9 mph. This is a standout for experienced surfers only, as it’s over 5 ft. The afternoon sees it jump to 7 ft (1283), but the wind goes cross-shore, so it’s still clean but a little more tricky. For a sandbar, that long period might make it a bit straight, but it’s still a hell of a session.

The week after that is a bit of a mixed bag. There’s a clean, modest 3 ft swell on Tuesday the 28th morning (292) and a small 2 ft on Wednesday the 29th. Then, Thursday the 30th of July afternoon has a fresh offshore wind from the west at 22 mph, but the swell is a short-period 5 ft from the SSW—it’s windy and a bit raw.

Looking into the first week of August, Saturday the 1st of August morning is a standout. We’re looking at a 7 ft south swell with a 12-second period (1252) and a moderate offshore wind from the SW at 12 mph. This is big, powerful, and clean—expert territory only. The afternoon the swell drops to 7 ft (1008), still clean with a cross-offshore wind. Then, Sunday the 2nd of August morning has a 5 ft south swell with a 10-second period (495) and glassy conditions—that’s a sneaky good one for the more experienced.

The last few days ease off with smaller, onshore conditions. The 16-day window is bookended by some proper swell, but there’s a long gap of small days in the middle. If you’re an experienced surfer, the 20th, 24th, 26th, and 1st August are your best bets. For beginners, it’s a bit too big on those days.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 7°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
!
2
3
4
1
2
1
0
1
2
0
0
1
0
2
3
1
2
1
1
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.2
E
11
2
E
10
2
E
11
1.9
ENE
11
1.7
ENE
11
1.6
ENE
10
1.5
ENE
10
1.3
ENE
10
1.3
ENE
10
1.1
ENE
9
1
ENE
9
0.9
ENE
9
0.8
ENE
9
0.7
ENE
9
1.6
S
8
1.9
S
8
1.6
S
9
1.4
S
10
1.1
S
10
1.1
S
12
1.5
S
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1107
818
934
862
685
566
416
307
332
201
161
119
92
70
363
513
417
369
259
350
660
Wind (km/h)
20
SE
15
SE
10
SSE
5
S
10
ENE
10
NNW
10
N
20
NE
10
N
15
NW
10
E
20
W
20
W
25
WSW
20
WSW
10
WSW
10
ENE
20
W
15
W
20
SSW
15
SW
Wind State
cross
cross
cross
glassy
on
cross
cross-on
on
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
off
off
off
off
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
12:09PM1.27m
00:01AM1.34m
12:59PM1.28m
00:51AM1.17m
1:51PM1.29m
1:47AM1.03m
2:45PM1.31m
2:53AM0.93m
3:42PM1.32m
4:06AM0.89m
4:36PM1.36m
5:13AM0.89m
5:27PM1.40m
Low Tide
5:58PM0.42m
6:30AM0.22m
7:01PM0.48m
7:10AM0.31m
8:11PM0.53m
7:53AM0.39m
9:26PM0.53m
8:42AM0.45m
10:38PM0.50m
9:37AM0.49m
11:38PM0.44m
10:34AM0.49m
00:26AM0.38m
cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:52
6:52
6:52
6:52
6:50
6:50
6:50
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:06
5:06
5:07
5:07
5:07
5:08
5:09
 mm
2
Temp °C
16
16
15
14
15
14
15
16
15
20
20
17
17
17
10
12
13
9
18
18
13
Feels °C
12
14
14
13
13
12
13
12
12
17
17
13
11
9
3
10
9
2
13
13
8
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Lakes Beach Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Lakes Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Lakes Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Lakes Beach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Lakes Beach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Lakes Beach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Lakes Beach is 11 km (7 miles) from the city of Catherine Hill Bay. If you plan a holiday in Newcastle, look for hotels and other accommodation in Catherine Hill Bay. Catherine Hill Bay has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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