Salmon Creek Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this is a tough stretch for Salmon Creek. No good options on the table at all for the next 16 days, so I’ll break down what’s actually happening out there so you don’t get your hopes up.

The first few days, from Saturday the 15th through Tuesday the 19th, are pretty much a write-off. Saturday morning has a small 3ft southwest swell with a 17-second period, but the wind is cross and the wave comment is marginal—you’re looking at light cross-shore ripples, not clean lines. The rest of that weekend and into Monday and Tuesday is poor, with onshore winds picking up and surf quality dropping off a cliff. No point paddling out for ankle-biters blown sideways.

There’s a brief pulse midweek, around Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th, where the swell jumps to 6ft to 8ft, but the period drops to 7–8 seconds and the wind is still onshore from the WNW. That’s short-period, chunky, wind-affected slop. Marginal at best, poor most of the time. Not worth the drive.

From Friday the 21st through to the end of the month, it’s more of the same—onshore winds, messy 4ft to 6ft swells, and no real window of clean conditions. The energy levels do build late in the month, with combined energy values hitting 1431 on the 28th and 1732 on the 29th, but that’s just more raw power messing up an already unsurfable lineup. The swell directions swing around from WNW to NW, but the period stays short.

One thing to watch: the water temp at Salmon Creek is 59°, which is about 1° above average for this time of year—nothing crazy, just normal for late August. Don’t expect any surprises there.

Honestly, this is a blank run. The break is very consistent, but that doesn’t help when the wind and swell are against it. For a beach setup like this, with those winds and that short-period groundswell, it’s gonna look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. If you’re desperate, the morning of Saturday the 29th has 8ft and light W wind, but the period is 8 seconds and it’s still cross-on. That’s a big, stormy, lumpy day—experts only, and even then, it’s a gamble.

Hang tight. Forecasts change, and with a break this consistent, it won’t stay poor forever. But for now, leave the boards at home.

Rusty.

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