Surf Forecasts:
Lakes Beach surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, S swell with 3,362 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period with S 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 19s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Lakes Beach in the next 16 days are 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lakes Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, Rusty here, checking out the prospects for Lakes Beach. It’s a stretch of sand that gets pretty exposed to the south swell, but the outlook for the next couple of weeks is a proper mixed bag. Expect a period of quiet, then some real heavy stuff.
Water temp's running average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.
The first chance for a surf shows up on Saturday, September 12th. The morning looks magic: a clean 4ft south swell with an 12-second window, and the wind is glassy from the ESE. The combined energy is a solid 630, so there's some real power. This is your best early bet, and the standout for average punters. You might share the lineup with a few others, but it’s worth it. The afternoon gets wrecked by a strong onshore breeze, so you gotta get on it early.
After that, things go flat. Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th are small and sloppy with onshore winds. Tuesday the 15th is a total loss as well. You’re looking at a few days of absolutely nothing worth paddling for.
Then the ocean wakes up big. Wednesday, September 16th sees a huge jump: a 10ft to 13ft south swell with moderate-to-high energy (1703 to 3378). The wind is clean and cross-off, which is normally perfect. But that size is strictly for experts. This setup looks way better for the kite crew than paddle surfers. Same story on Thursday, the 17th – 10ft waves and clean offshore wind. Unless you’re a charger, give it a miss.
It drops to a more manageable 5ft on Friday the 18th, but the wind turns onshore again, ruining the quality. Another quiet spell follows from Saturday the 19th through Thursday the 24th – mostly small, onshore breezes, and flat. Not worth the drive.
The last proper pulse comes on Friday, September 25th. A 5ft south swell with a moderate 10-second period and clean conditions in the morning. Combined energy hits 608. It’s a little big for total beginners, but for everyone else looking for a proper wave, that Friday morning session is the final standout of the run.
So, first thing: that opening Saturday morning glass is the pick of the first week. Then you got a massive, expert-only session mid-week. The second week finishes off with a cleaner morning on the 25th. Time it right.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the NE by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon night, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Mon night, strong winds from the SSW by Wed morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 6 | S 6 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 386 | 425 | 307 | 198 | 164 | 184 | 136 | 132 | 82 | 98 | 63 | 26 | 365 | 1663 | 3362 | 3218 | 1999 | 1432 | 677 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | glassy | on | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 8:44AM1.46m | 8:54PM1.50m | 9:21AM1.49m | 9:34PM1.38m | 9:57AM1.49m | 10:13PM1.25m | 10:34AM1.46m | 10:54PM1.12m | 11:13AM1.40m | 11:39PM1.01m | 11:59AM1.34m | 00:34AM0.92m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:35AM0.06m | 2:47PM0.17m | 3:07AM0.11m | 3:31PM0.19m | 3:39AM0.19m | 4:15PM0.24m | 4:10AM0.28m | 5:01PM0.31m | 4:42AM0.37m | 5:51PM0.39m | 5:18AM0.46m | 6:50PM0.46m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | |  | | | | |  |  |  | |  | | | |
 | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 23 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | NE 7 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | S 16 | ENE 13 | ENE 13 | E 13 | S 18 | SSE 9 |
| kJ | 386 | 425 | 307 | 198 | 164 | 184 | 136 | 132 | 82 | 49 | 63 | 26 | 11 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 3 | 25 | 677 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 19 | S 19 | S 18 | S 20 | S 17 | S 15 | ENE 13 | NE 6 | ENE 12 | E 12 | S 10 | S 9 | E 14 | ENE 14 | — | — | S 18 | E 13 | E 13 |
| kJ | 27 | 186 | 156 | 198 | 53 | 41 | 17 | 33 | 15 | 12 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 20 | — | — | 6 | 3 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | ENE 14 | ENE 14 | ENE 13 | ENE 13 | ENE 13 | S 18 | ENE 13 | — | — | E 13 | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 13 |
| kJ | 14 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 6 | 17 | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 2 | NE 5 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 5 | NE 6 | — | SSE 4 | S 6 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | — |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | 35 | 10 | 68 | 120 | 75 | 79 | 98 | — | 10 | 365 | 1663 | 3362 | 3218 | 1999 | 1432 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 388 | 4 | 5 | 459 | 4 | 5 | 94 | 0 | 0 | 137 | 137 | 779 | 789 | 217 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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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