Northern California
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Little River State Beach, Northern California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Sun, May 10: 5–6ft, 12s period, rated Poor - Fair. Pretty quiet out there — 5-6ft and mostly poor - fair with 9mph N winds.
Mon, May 11: 5–6ft, 11s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 5-6ft on W swell at 11s with calm winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 7mph, bringing conditions down to fair.
Tue, May 12: 4–5ft, 11s period, rated Fair. Expect 4-5ft all day on W swell at 11s with calm winds — nothing amazing but surfable. Afternoon breeze fills in to 6mph.
Wed, May 13: 5–6ft, 13s period, rated Fair. Early morning is your best window — 4-5ft waves on W swell at 11s with gentle SSE breeze. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Thu, May 14: 4–5ft, 12s period, rated Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 4-5ft on W swell at 10s with barely a breath of wind. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 5mph from the NW and dropping conditions to fair.
Free, simple, and takes 30 seconds.
Little River State Beach sits along the rugged Northern California coastline near Eureka, where the Little River meets the Pacific at around 41°N latitude. This beach break offers punchy, powerful waves shaped by the consistent Northwest swells that roll down from the North Pacific, producing short but hollow peaks along a scenic stretch of dark sand. The remote character of this Northern California gem means crowds are rarely an issue, though the cold water, powerful surf, and unpredictable conditions demand respect and experience.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Little River State Beach is 5-6ft with a 11.6s swell period. Wind is N at 8mph and conditions are rated Poor - Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Little River State Beach is 5-6ft, produced by a 3.1ft W primary swell at 10s, a 1.9ft WNW secondary swell at 12s, a 0.7ft WSW tertiary swell at 15s, a 2.7ft NW wind swell swell at 5s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Little River State Beach is Tuesday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 5ft waves, a 10.9s swell period, and conditions rated Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Little River State Beach works best with a NW swell and E winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Little River State Beach. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Little River State Beach is a beach with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Little River State Beach sits along the rugged Northern California coastline near Eureka, where the Little River meets the Pacific at around 41°N latitude. This beach break offers punchy, powerful waves shaped by the consistent Northwest swells that roll down from the North Pacific, producing short but hollow peaks along a scenic stretch of dark sand. The remote character of this Northern California gem means crowds are rarely an issue, though the cold water, powerful surf, and unpredictable conditions demand respect and experience.
The prime season at Little River State Beach is fall, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Little River State Beach include cold water, strong currents, river mouth currents, rip currents, shore break, sharks, isolated location, sneaker waves. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Little River State Beach forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable. Extended forecasts show general trends. See the forecast accuracy card above for per-spot and regional performance metrics.
