Lincoln City Surf Break

Lat Long: 44.94° N 124.03° W

Lincoln City Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 pm 16 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Lincoln City sea temperature is
11.9° C
3.2° 

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


Lincoln City surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period, WNW swell with 536 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period with SW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Lincoln City this week:

The surf forecast for Lincoln City over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Lincoln City in the next 16 days are 1.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Mon 17th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 15s
Best Surf 2AM (Thu 20th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 12s
Most Powerful 8AM (Thu 20th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 11s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lincoln City over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright. Rusty here. Let’s talk about the surf outlook for Lincoln City.

Honestly, this 16-day stretch is a bit of a struggle. We’ve got a long, quiet start with no real surf to get excited about. The first couple of weeks are filled with marginal to poor conditions, and it’s not until late in the run that we finally see something worth paddling out for.

Alright, so for the first week, from the 16th right through to around the 23rd, it’s going to be a grind. Swell heights hover around the 2 ft to 4 ft mark, a mix of SW and WNW swells, but the real killer is the wind. It’s mostly cross-onshore from the NNW at 6 to 12 mph, which is just making a mess of the surface for the beach and reef setup here. The combined swell energy is consistently weak, bouncing between 239 and 569, which tells you there's just no guts in it. The water temperature is a real kicker too, coming in at 53°F, which is a massive 6°F colder than what’s normal for this time of year... that’s way outside the usual range, so expect a serious chill.

There’s a slight flicker of hope around the 19th and 20th, when the swell bumps up to about 4 ft to 4 ft from the WNW, with a period around 11 to 12 seconds. It’s still not great, but the wind does ease to a light breeze on the 20th morning, so that cross-on chop might settle a little. Still, it's a marginal call at best.

After the 21st, things get messy again. We see a drop in period on the 21st and 22nd, down to 8 or 9 seconds, and the swell gets all jumbled with onshore winds from the W and SW. This is the kind of setup that might be more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, to be honest.

Then we hit a bit of a blank spot again from the 22nd through the 26th, with nothing but poor or marginal calls. The swell picks up on the 23rd afternoon hitting 6 ft, but it comes with NNW winds at 16 mph, and that’s just blown-out, cross-shore chop. The period is a pathetic 6 seconds, so you’re looking at weak, bumpy junk.

Now, here’s the one that catches my eye. On the 27th of August, Thursday, we start to see something building. The afternoon shows a solid 7 ft swell from the NW, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy finally gets some legs to it, hitting 799. The wind is cross-shore from the NNW at 9 mph, so it’s not glassy, but it’s manageable. This is the biggest swell of the entire 16-day window. At 7 ft, this is for the more experienced crew; beginners should sit this one out. It’s not perfect, but it is the standout moment in a long, otherwise flat or choppy run.

Following that, the 31st of August has a bit of potential too, with a 5 ft swell from the W at 11 seconds and a combined energy of 872, but the cross-shore wind is still there. It’s a maybe, but the 27th afternoon is the best shot you’ve got.

So, there you have it. A long, lean run, but a chance of redemption late in the day if you’re willing to wait.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Sun
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
2
1
1
3
1
1
2
1
1
2
0
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
SW
16
0.8
SW
15
0.6
SW
14
0.6
SW
14
0.6
SW
14
0.6
SW
14
0.6
SW
14
0.9
WNW
12
1
WNW
12
1.1
WNW
12
1.1
WNW
12
1.5
WNW
11
1.5
WNW
11
0.9
WNW
11
1.1
NW
8
1.1
NW
8
1.1
NW
8
1
WNW
8
1.4
WNW
8
1.5
NW
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
125
284
167
167
169
167
153
267
303
337
343
508
480
198
141
125
147
151
248
268
Wind (km/h)
20
NNW
10
NNE
15
NNW
20
NNW
10
N
10
NW
15
NNW
10
NNE
15
NNW
15
NNW
5
NNE
10
NW
15
NNW
5
N
5
WSW
10
WSW
5
SSW
10
SSW
10
W
10
NNE
Wind State
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
on
cross-off
High Tide
3:49PM1.98m
4:09AM1.63m
4:24PM1.96m
5:09AM1.45m
5:01PM1.90m
6:21AM1.32m
5:43PM1.83m
7:53AM1.25m
6:35PM1.77m
9:33AM1.27m
7:39PM1.74m
10:44AM1.34m
8:47PM1.75m
Low Tide
10:34PM0.22m
10:26AM0.32m
11:28PM0.23m
11:02AM0.51m
00:27AM0.24m
11:42AM0.68m
1:33AM0.25m
12:33PM0.81m
2:45AM0.24m
1:48PM0.89m
3:53AM0.20m
3:13PM0.90m
4:49AM0.13m
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:18
6:20
6:22
6:22
6:24
6:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:21
8:19
8:17
8:15
8:14
8:13
8:10
 mm
Temp °C
16
14
17
17
14
17
18
16
17
18
14
17
18
14
16
18
15
16
17
16
Feels °C
14
12
15
15
13
16
16
15
16
16
13
16
17
13
16
17
15
15
16
16
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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 Lincoln City Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Lincoln City provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Lincoln City can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Lincoln City 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 (Lincoln City) 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 Lincoln City 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.

Lincoln City is 72 km (45 miles) from the city of McMinnville. If you plan a vacation in North Oregon, look for hotels and other accommodation in McMinnville. McMinnville has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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