Montrose Beach Surf Report & Forecast

Montrose is Chicago’s largest urban beach, located on the city’s north side at the southwest tip of Lake Michigan. It is a designated surfing beach by the Park District. Surf works on medium swells generated by NW to N winds, all the way to an E wind if powerful enough. Best conditions occur in the fall when sustained, cold NW to NE fronts hold for several hours while winds move off-shore (W to S). Shifting inner, middle, and outer sandbars create multi-sectioned waves and varying takeoff spots... Read more