Frankfort is Michigan's surf destination. There is not really a better spot in the state to surf, and people drive from all over it — with surfboards and with paddleboards — to ride here. You can kite and wing and do everything else here too, and it is a lot of fun. But the reason a small town at the mouth of Betsie Bay ends up as the answer to "where do you surf in Michigan" comes down to two pieces of geography. First, the fetch: there are 204 miles of open water between Frankfort and the south end of Lake Michigan, so a south wind arrives having had the entire lake to work on. Second, the piers: the two of them running out from the channel groom what that fetch delivers, and the wave that comes off them on the north side is the cleanest on this coast. Head high is possible in the fall.
Seasonal Conditions
The South Wind Is the Whole Spot
Most spot guides start with how windy a place is. Frankfort is better described by which wind, because the shape of the pier means the spot is only really good on a southerly. So the chart below is not the usual one. It shows how much of each month carries a south-sector wind at 15 knots or more — the wind that actually builds the wave here — rather than wind of any kind.
The good news in the numbers is that this is not a rare ask. Across seven years of hourly measurements, the south sector accounts for 37% of every 15+ knot hour on this stretch of coast, and adds up to about 109 days a year with a south wind over 15 knots. November is the peak: a 15+ knot south wind blows in 16% of all November hours, more than three times the July figure.
Two hundred and four miles is the number to hold on to. Frankfort sits far enough up the eastern shore that a due-south wind runs the entire length of Lake Michigan before it gets here — a longer fetch than any Michigan spot gets from any direction. That is the physical reason the wave here is bigger and better organised than the same wind produces further south, and it is why the north half of the lake gets roughly twice the south wind the south half does: 24% of windy hours at the mid-north-lake buoy against 12% down at Muskegon.
The shape of that chart is the season in one picture. October, November and December are the window — November alone carries a 15+ knot south wind in 16% of its hours and an 18+ knot one in 9%, which is where head-high comes from. January through March are just as strong and are mostly taken away by cold and shore ice. And look at June: it holds a genuine south-wind bump — two thirds of June's windy hours come from the south — but almost none of it reaches 18 knots. June gives you a south breeze to wing in, not a wave to surf.
Petal length = % of 15+ kt hours • NDBC BSBM4, Big Sable Point • 7-yr avg 2019–2025
On the numbers: these come from Big Sable Point light, 42 miles south — the nearest year-round meter with clean exposure to open water. The closer station at Manistee Harbor is not used: it reports the south wind as 3.5% of windy hours, which the Frankfort airport gauge 1.5 miles from this beach (29%), the mid-lake buoy (24%) and Big Sable itself (21%) all contradict. A harbour meter reads the harbour, not the coast.
Surf · Kite · Wing
One Wind, Three Boards
Frankfort is a surf spot that also happens to be a good kite and wing spot, which is the reverse of most of this coast. The same south wind does all three jobs — what changes is where you stand and how long you wait.
The reason people drive here. A south wind, the north side of the pier, and a wave that the piers have already tidied up for you — the cleanest on this coast, and head high in the fall when it lines up. Great Lakes swell has no memory: it is built by the wind blowing right now and it fades within hours of that wind dropping, so the sweet spot is the tail of the event, once the chop has settled but before the swell has gone. Watch the wind forecast for your surf, not a swell model.
Kiting the channel between the two piers is the popular option here — it is wide enough for it and there is not much boat traffic through it. In midsummer the limiting factor is the beach rather than the wind: Frankfort is a busy tourist beach and a clean patch of sand to lay lines out on, clear of swimmers, is genuinely hard to find in July and August. If the day is a touch too light, Point Betsie up the road is usually carrying more.
The tool that makes the light half of the year worth showing up for. June is the case in point: two thirds of its windy hours come from the south, but almost none of them reach 18 knots — a wave-less south breeze that a foil converts into a session and a surfboard cannot. A wing also fits a crowded summer beach better than a kite, with no lines to lay out and nothing overhead.
The one rule that saves a wasted drive: if it is a shade too light to kite in Frankfort, go and look at Point Betsie. It is one of the two big points on Lake Michigan, so on the same forecast it is usually carrying more wind than the beach in town. It is not a surf spot — it is where you go when the surf is not the plan.
Paddleboards are not a footnote here. People drive across the state to Frankfort with a SUP as often as with a surfboard, and on the smaller south-wind days it is the board that turns a marginal forecast into a session.
Spot Guide
Where To Go In
Frankfort's launches sit within a few minutes of one another on either side of the channel, plus Point Betsie four miles up the shore. Tap a pin for wind direction, skill level and parking.
The Launches
The Spots
Frankfort Beach — north of the pier
This is the spot. The launch is on the north side of the pier and that is where the waves are — the piers groom what 204 miles of south fetch delivers, and what breaks on the north side is the cleanest wave on this coast. Head high is possible in the fall. It is a public town beach with a real lot, which is the other half of why it is the state's surf destination: no access argument, no long carry. The surf zone is not big, though, so when it is on it is busy — surfers, paddleboards and wingers all showed up on the same forecast.
Between the piers — the channel
The channel mouth out of Betsie Bay, and a popular place to kite. It is wide enough between the two piers to ride, and there is not much boat traffic through it — but it is still a navigation channel, so know where you would end up if you had to body-drag, and keep an eye up the channel as well as out at the lake. In midsummer this is often the workable option when the beach itself is full of swimmers.
Elberta Beach — south of the channel
Across the channel from Frankfort, on the south side, and the answer on a northerly — with an honest caveat: it is doable, but not many people do it. When the wind goes north most riders here head for a different beach entirely rather than cross the channel. That makes Elberta quiet rather than bad, which is worth something on a coast where the good days are crowded. Treat it as the local option for a north wind rather than the obvious one, and expect to have it largely to yourself.
Point Betsie
Four miles north of town, and the kite and wing answer rather than a surf spot. Point Betsie is one of the two big points on Lake Michigan, so it reaches further into the lake than the beach in town does and usually carries more wind on the same day and the same south direction — which makes it the place to go when Frankfort is marginal. Parking is limited, and the launch is cobble mixed with sand rather than clean beach. Neither of those will ruin your afternoon; both are worth knowing before you arrive.
Safety Intel
Hazards & Local Rules
- The crowd is the hazard here, not the water. The surf zone at Frankfort is not large and everybody knows when it is good, so a firing day puts surfers, paddleboards and wingers into the same small patch. Take turns, look before you drop in, and do not be the person who brings a kite into the middle of it.
- There is a rip near the pier. It is not something to be too concerned about if you are out there surfing — but know it is there, and know which way it runs on the day.
- Swimmers in summer. Frankfort is a popular beach and in the middle of summer it can be genuinely difficult to find a clean launch for a kite. People are always out surfing regardless; you just have to be careful and watch for swimmers.
- The channel between the piers is working water. Traffic is light compared with a big harbour, but it is still the way boats get in and out of Betsie Bay.
- Point Betsie is cobble mixed with sand, with limited parking. Wear something on your feet, and arrive expecting a small lot rather than a beach lot.
- Frankfort runs colder than West Michigan. It is further north than Grand Haven or Muskegon, and the water shows it. If your wetsuit chart comes from down the coast, take the next step up.
- Northwest and west are onshore here. They are the lake's most common strong winds — 44% of all windy hours between them — and they will give you wind. They will not give you the wave the place is known for, and the water they make is a lot messier than what a south wind delivers.
- Winter is strong and mostly unusable. January through March hold as much south wind as October does, and cold and shore ice take most of it away. Ice shelves are undercut and unstable — never walk out on one to launch.
Gear by Season
What to Bring
Surf: Shortboard, but the south wind is lighter than fall
Kite: 9m + 12m
Wing: 5m
Suit: Early spring a 6/4 with gloves and boots; by late spring a 4/3.
Surf: Longboard — real waves are rare
Kite: 12m + 14m, and a foil or 17m for the light days
Wing: 5m + 6m — the tool that makes June worth it
Suit: 3/2, then a shorty, and by late summer often nothing at all.
Surf: Shortboard — this is the season, and the head-high days are in it
Kite: 8m + 10m, 12m for the light end
Wing: 4m + 5m
Suit: The ladder runs back the other way — 3/2 early, 4/3 through the middle, 6/4 by late fall.
December still delivers: it carries a 15+ kt south wind in 15% of its hours, second only to November. It is also cold, and shore ice closes it down as the season goes on. If you go: 6/4 hooded, gloves, boots, and kites a size down from what the forecast suggests, because cold air is dense.
Local Knowledge
The Vibe
Great place to surf, kite and wing — great vibes, great people. That is the short version and it is the honest one.
Frankfort is also a proper Northern Michigan tourist town, which cuts both ways. There are lots of good places to eat and drink and it is a beautiful town to walk around after a session — Stormcloud Brewing Company is the brewery, and the rest is worth an internet search on the drive up, because there is more of it than a spot guide should pretend to rank. The flip side is July and August: parking can be difficult and the beach is full. On the shoulders of the season it should not be too bad — and the shoulders are when the south wind comes back anyway, which is a happy coincidence for anyone whose holiday is flexible.
To stay: the Betsie River Campground and the Platte River Campground are both good, and there are decent hotels in town. Earlier in the season, Chimney Corners on Crystal Lake is another great option.
Crystal Lake itself is worth a mention mostly so you do not waste a day on it. Nobody rides Crystal — it is just a beautiful blue lake, five minutes from the beach, and it is scenery rather than a backup session. If the big lake is flat, that is a day for the town.
Rider FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time of year to surf Frankfort?
What wind direction is best at Frankfort?
Where do you surf in Frankfort?
Can you kiteboard or wing at Frankfort?
Is Point Betsie better than Frankfort for kiteboarding?
What wetsuit do I need at Frankfort?
Can you surf or kite Crystal Lake?
Never Miss a South Wind at Frankfort
The wave here is built by the wind blowing right now and it is gone a few hours after that wind stops. WindStoke watches the meters and the models and tells you when the south wind is coming — early enough to make the drive.
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