Surfing Lake Erie: Where, When and What to Wear

Can you surf Lake Erie? Yes. Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes, so it whips up waves fast when the wind blows. Cleveland, Erie (Pennsylvania), Buffalo and Ontario's north shore all have dedicated surf crews. Here's where to go, which winds work and what to wear.

Jump to: Where to surf · Which winds work · When to go · Water temperature · Safety · FAQ

Lake Erie at a glance

• Best season: September to December, before the lake freezes
• Best winds: southwest and west for the eastern end (Buffalo and the Niagara region); north and northeast for the south shore (Cleveland and Erie, PA)
• Wetsuit: a 4/3 mm in early fall, then a hooded 5/4 mm
• Watch out for: fast-changing conditions, piers and breakwalls, and water quality after heavy rain

Where to surf Lake Erie

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland has one of the oldest surf scenes on the Great Lakes. Edgewater Park, just west of downtown, is the most popular spot in the city. It picks up north and northeast swell.

Presque Isle, Erie, Pennsylvania

Presque Isle State Park is a sandy peninsula with miles of beaches, and it's very popular with Erie's surfers. Different beaches along the peninsula face different directions, so there's often somewhere working.

Buffalo and Western New York

Buffalo sits at the eastern end of the lake, which is where southwest winds blowing down Erie's full length pile up the most swell. Local surfers hit beaches along the shore south of the city.

Ontario's north shore

Across the border, the beaches west of Fort Erie and around the Niagara region catch the same southwest swell. Pleasant Beach, home of the Wyldewood Surf Club, is where the Lake Surfistas held their first Beach Day back in 2014. Read Lake Surfistas: the rad women of the Great Lakes.

Which winds work on Lake Erie?

Lake Erie is long and narrow, running roughly southwest to northeast. That makes the eastern end the most consistent spot on the lake.

• Eastern end (Buffalo, Fort Erie, Niagara region): southwest and west winds blowing down the full length of the lake.
• South shore (Cleveland, Erie, PA): north and northeast winds.
• North shore (Ontario): south and southwest winds.

Because Erie is shallow, waves build quickly once the wind picks up and drop off quickly once it stops. Watch for strong, steady winds of 30 km/h (about 20 mph) or more, and be ready to go. More in how to read a Great Lakes surf forecast.

When is the best time to surf Lake Erie?

Fall, before the ice. September through December brings the most frequent storms. Because Erie is so shallow, it cools fast and often freezes over in mid-winter, which usually ends the season earlier than on Lake Ontario or Lake Michigan. Spring can bring waves again once the ice breaks up. Summer is warm but mostly flat.

Lake Erie water temperature and wetsuit by month

Average water temperatures at Cleveland through the surf season. Erie is the warmest Great Lake in summer and early fall, then drops fast. Hooded suits go with 5–7 mm boots and gloves or mitts.

See all five lakes in our Great Lakes water temperature by month guide and the cold water wetsuit guide.

Staying safe on Lake Erie

• Never surf alone, and tell someone where you're going.
• Stay clear of piers and breakwalls. Currents along them are dangerous.
• Check water quality after heavy rain. Bacteria levels can rise near river mouths and city beaches.
• Watch the ice. Don't walk on shore ice shelves, and get out once ice chunks start forming in the water.
• Know about seiches. Erie gets more seiches than any other Great Lake, and water levels can change by several feet. Read more in Weird Waves: Great Lakes.

Lake Erie surfing FAQ

Where is the best surfing on Lake Erie?

The eastern end of the lake, around Buffalo and Ontario's Niagara shore, is the most consistent because southwest winds blow down the whole lake toward it. Cleveland's Edgewater Park and Presque Isle in Erie, Pennsylvania are the best-known spots on the south shore.

Does Lake Erie freeze over?

Often, yes. As the shallowest Great Lake, Erie usually ices up in mid-winter, and in cold winters most of the lake freezes. That usually ends surf season until spring.

Can you surf Lake Erie in the summer?

Sometimes. Summer is mostly flat, but passing storms and thunderstorm fronts can bring short, fun sessions in warm water.

Lake guides: Michigan · Superior · Huron · Erie · Ontario · Great Lakes Surfing FAQ

Rep Lake Erie

Lake Erie Different Water T-shirt
Lake Erie, freshwater and proud of it.

Lake Erie Ice Cube T-shirt
For the crew that surfs right up until the freeze.

Lake Erie Patch T-shirt
A classic patch design for the shallow lake.

Shop the Lake Erie collection.

Water temperatures: 10-year monthly averages for Cleveland from seatemperature.info, rounded to the nearest degree. Spot info: Lake Erie Living.