Staying Home Sucks, home
Crescent City California harbor aerial view
Crescent City, the nearest town, 9 km away. Photo: Robert Campbell, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Lake Talawa

Surf spot · United States

Is it worth the trip?

56Fair out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Tue 3: 7 ft swell at 13 s

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 77 out of 100

Swell
7 ft13 ssoft
Energy
1,606kJ
Wind
ENE 5 kn
Temp
15°C

Wed 4 · 60 out of 100

Swell
6 ft11 ssoft
Energy
732kJ
Wind
E 6 kn
Temp
14°C

Thu 5 · 64 out of 100

Swell
7 ft10 ssoft
Energy
783kJ
Wind
ENE 5 kn
Temp
14°C

Fri 6 · 0 out of 100

Swell
10 ft12 ssoft
Energy
2,646kJ
Wind
ESE 4 kn
Temp
15°C

Sat 7 · 0 out of 100

Swell
12 ft12 ssoft
Energy
3,382kJ
Wind
E 7 kn
Temp
15°C

Sun 8 · 56 out of 100

Swell
7 ft10 ssoft
Energy
775kJ
Wind
SSE 4 kn
Temp
15°C

Mon 9 · 62 out of 100

Swell
9 ft10 ssoft
Energy
1,546kJ
Wind
SE 5 kn
Temp
15°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 9 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 285, good
  2. Tue 377, good
  3. Wed 460, good
  4. Thu 564, good
  5. Fri 60, too big
  6. Sat 70, too big
  7. Sun 856, fair
  8. Mon 962, good
  9. Tue 1025, poor

The spot in five facts

  • Faces Wtakes swell from the W
  • Offshore: Ewind from the land
  • Intermediate +who it suits
  • Works 2–8 ftof swell
  • Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves

Full forecast

every day, every number

The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.

Forecast and score for expert surfers at Lake Talawa, each day
DayScore for expertsSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 2Nov85, good7 ft15 ssoft12 ft at break (est.)2,386kJwind from the east-south-east, 6 knots, offshore14°C
Tue 3Nov77, good7 ft13 ssoft11 ft at break (est.)1,606kJwind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore15°C
Wed 4Nov60, good6 ft11 ssoft8 ft at break (est.)732kJwind from the east, 6 knots, offshore14°C
Thu 5Nov64, good7 ft10 ssoft9 ft at break (est.)783kJwind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore14°C
Fri 6Nov0, too big10 ft12 ssoft14 ft at break (est.)2,646kJwind from the east-south-east, 4 knots15°C
Sat 7Nov0, too big12 ft12 ssoft15 ft at break (est.)3,382kJwind from the east, 7 knots15°C
Sun 8Nov56, fair7 ft10 ssoft9 ft at break (est.)775kJwind from the south-south-east, 4 knots15°C
Mon 9Nov62, good9 ft10 ssoft12 ft at break (est.)1,546kJwind from the south-east, 5 knots, offshore15°C
Tue 10Nov25, poor8 ft11 ssoft11 ft at break (est.)1,384kJwind from the south, 18 knots15°C

Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More

Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.

Map

the spot and its town

Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

More surf near here

5 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Lake Talawa

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces W (280°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (100°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 6.7 km out (1 in 667). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 10°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 13°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Crescent City, 8.9 km away (about 20 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).

Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,210–US$2,180 each

about US$1,210–US$2,180 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.

Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.

How we worked it out 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to ACV, estimated from distance and season, changing at DEN, full-service airlines, with a hold bagabout US$261–US$543
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$154–US$255
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$301–US$502
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$636
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$147–US$241
Totalabout US$1,210–US$2,180

For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: 3 towns

Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn

Closest

Crescent City

about 20 min by car · 35 places to stay

about US$114/nightcountry average

See 35 places to stay in Crescent City · Booking.com

About Crescent City its beds, food and every spot near it

About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.

Getting there: about 11h 30m

About 11h 30m door to door from Chicago

Fly MDW → ACV, changing at Denver International Airport (DEN), then 1h 45m by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.