SLO County Fishing Report — August 15, 2026
Saturdaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121104 places
There is a newer report: SLO County Fishing Report — November 15, 2026 →
Verdicts by place
Morro Bay offshore
GoodSeas 3-5 ft through Sunday; NW 20-30 kt by Tuesday
Lake Nacimiento
GoodBass: Excellent, topwater action at dawn, deep structure midday; Catfish: Excellent in 20-30 ft depth
Lopez Lake
GoodBass: Good; Catfish: Excellent in evening using chicken liver or cut bait
Santa Margarita Lake
GoodBass: Excellent, topwater action at dawn; Trout: Active near inlet areas
Tides for the day
| 6:29 AM low | 0.1 ft |
|---|---|
| 12:53 PM high | 5.0 ft |
| 6:52 PM low | 1.3 ft |
- range
- 4.9 ft
- sunrise
- 6:23 AM
- sunset
- 7:52 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Nacimiento | Lopez | San Antonio | Santa Margarita |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | excellentwhite | good | good | excellent |
| Catfish | excellent | excellent | excellent | not reported |
| Trout | not reported | slow | noted | noted |
By water
from the reportNot reported.
- Bass excellent Topwater action at dawn, deep structure midday
- Catfish excellent In 20-30 ft depth
- White Bass Active near shad schools
None listed.
- Storage 754.68 ft, 167,332 AF (44% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Aug 15.
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Todaylighter
- seas
- 3–5 ft
- wind
- NW 5–10 kt
becoming 10-20 kt in the afternoon
- Tonight
- seas
- 4–5 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
- Sundaylighter
- seas
- 3–5 ft
- wind
- NW 5–10 kt
becoming 10-15 kt in the afternoon
- Sunday night
- seas
- 4 ft
- wind
- NW 15–20 kt
Full report2 min read ›
Fishing is excellent across the board this weekend. The lakes are fishing well, and the ocean is calm enough to fish. A long-period southerly swell is still around, but it isn't causing major problems.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Storage: 754.68 ft, 167,332 AF (44% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Aug 15.
- Bass: Excellent. Topwater action at dawn, deep structure midday
- Catfish: Excellent in 20-30 ft depth
- White Bass: Active near shad schools
Tip: Fish main lake points and creek arms at first light.
Lopez Lake
- Storage: 512.27 ft, 40,437 AF (82% of capacity), CDEC LOP, Aug 15.
- Conditions: Good clarity
- Bass: Good.
- Catfish: Excellent in evening using chicken liver or cut bait
- Trout: Slow - water warming, fish holding deeper
Tip: Best fishing during low-light hours.
Lake Nacimiento vs Last Week
| Metric | This Week | Last Week | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage (CDEC NCM) | 167,332 ac-ft | 173,481 ac-ft | -6,149 ac-ft |
| % of capacity | 44% | 45% | Down |
San Antonio Lake
- Storage: 742.80 ft, 170,579 AF (52% of capacity), CDEC ATN, Aug 15.
- Bass: Good - focus on deeper structure during midday
- Catfish: Excellent on shrimp and chicken liver
- Trout: Minimal - summer slowdown
Santa Margarita Lake
- Conditions: Clear water
- Bass: Excellent on topwater at dawn
- Trout: Active near inlet areas
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay & Offshore
Morro Bay Landing (Aug 14): Starfire, 3/4 day, 21 anglers: 150 rockfish, 42 red rockfish, 18 bocaccio, 6 lingcod.
Patriot Sportfishing (Aug 14): Flying Fish, 1/2 day, 12 anglers: 69 rockcod, 24 red rockcod, 15 bocaccio, 12 copper rockfish.
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Aug 14.
Great Conditions - Calm Seas Expected
A gentle to moderate northwesterly breeze is holding, and seas are calm. A long-period southerly swell (3 ft at 15-16 seconds) stays through Sunday without causing much trouble. The wind picks up Monday night and Tuesday, to NW 20-30 kt by Tuesday afternoon.
Marine Forecast
Today: NW 5-10 kt, becoming 10-20 kt in the afternoon, seas 3-5 ft
Tonight: NW 10-20 kt, seas 4-5 ft
Sunday: NW 5-10 kt, becoming 10-15 kt in the afternoon, seas 3-5 ft
Sunday night: NW 15-20 kt, seas 4 ft
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 134 AM PDT Sat Aug 15 2026.
Sources: NDBC buoy 46011; NWS zone PZZ645; lake levels from CDEC (NCM, LOP, ATN).