Lincoln City • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The North Pacific storm track is in full swing from October through March, and Lincoln City feels every bit of it. With a west-facing exposure, the dominant W, WNW, and WSW groundswells push straight into the beach, producing solid 6-10ft (1.8-3m) waves with long periods in the 11-13 second range. The Aleutian Low deepens and sends a conveyor belt of frontal systems toward the Oregon coast; the best days typically come after a cold front passes and high pressure builds inland, turning the wind offshore from the ESE/E/SE quadrant. These are the months when the beach breaks turn from average to firing, and the 33-36% ideal wind windows give you real chances at clean, powerful surf between storms.

Fair Surf Season (April - May and September)

Spring and early fall are transitional. April still sees solid 6-7ft (1.8-2.1m) of W/WNW swell, but the wind becomes less reliable as the Pacific High begins to nudge northward and the thermal low starts pulling in afternoon northwesterlies. May drops to average 5ft (1.5m) surf with shorter periods. September is the wildcard: the first big WNW swells of the fall arrive, and with 27% ideal winds there are more clean windows than June-August, making it a favorite shoulder season month.

Low Surf Season (June - August)

Summer is the slowest and bumpiest time at Lincoln City. The North Pacific High locks in, the storm track retreats to the Gulf of Alaska, and the average swell drops to 4-5ft (1.2-1.5m) with periods around 10 seconds or less. Meanwhile, the thermal gradient cranks up a relentless NNW flow - especially in July, when NNW winds blow over half the time - leaving the west-facing coastline chopped and onshore. Water temps stay cold due to upwelling, and the occasional small clean window needs a very early dawn patrol with light easterly breeze. It is a low season in quality, not necessarily in crowds.