SLO County Fishing Report — August 17, 2026
Mondaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121105 places
There is a newer report: SLO County Fishing Report — November 15, 2026 →
Verdicts by place
Morro Bay offshore
Fair4–5 ftwater 65.3°F
NW 20-25 kt and 5-7 ft seas Tuesday afternoon and night
Lake Nacimiento
Good754.2 ft43% capacity
Bass: 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
| 1:39 AM high | 4.1 ft |
|---|---|
| 7:31 AM low | 1.4 ft |
| 2:05 PM high | 5.1 ft |
| 8:55 PM low | 1.3 ft |
- range
- 3.8 ft
- sunrise
- 6:24 AM
- sunset
- 7:50 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Nacimiento | Lopez | San Antonio | Santa Margarita | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | excellentwhite | good | good | excellent | not reported |
| Catfish | excellent | excellent | excellent | not reported | not reported |
| Trout | not reported | slow | noted | noted | not reported |
By water
from the report- Water Level 754.20 ft, 165,619 AF (43% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Aug 17. Down 0.24 ft from yesterday.
- Bass excellent Topwater action at dawn, deep structure midday
- Catfish excellent In 20-30 ft depth
- White Bass Active near shad schools
None listed.
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Todaylighter
- seas
- 3–5 ft
- wind
- NW 10–15 kt
becoming 15-20 kt in the afternoon
- Tonight
- seas
- 4–6 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
- Tuesday
- seas
- 5–7 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
becoming 20-25 kt in the afternoon
- Tuesday night
- seas
- 5–7 ft
- wind
- NW 20–25 kt
becoming 10-20 kt after midnight
Full report2 min read ›
Wind is on the way. The lakes are fishing well, but the ocean gets rough from Tuesday, so go offshore today if you can.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Water Level: 754.20 ft, 165,619 AF (43% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Aug 17. Down 0.24 ft from yesterday.
- Bass: Excellent. Topwater action at dawn, deep structure midday
- Catfish: Excellent in 20-30 ft depth
- White Bass: Active near shad schools
Lopez Lake
- Storage: 512.19 ft, 40,372 AF (82% of capacity), CDEC LOP, Aug 17.
- 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) | 165,619 ac-ft | 171,762 ac-ft | -6,143 ac-ft |
| % of capacity | 43% | 45% | Down |
| Level change | -0.24 ft from yesterday | - | Falling |
San Antonio Lake
- Storage: 742.54 ft, 169,688 AF (51% of capacity), CDEC ATN, Aug 17.
- 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 16): Avenger, 1/2 day, 31 anglers: 300 rockfish, 5 copper rockfish, 5 red rockfish, 1 lingcod (up to 10 pounds).
Patriot Sportfishing (Aug 16): Patriot (Avila Beach), full day, 23 anglers: 199 bolina, 14 red rockcod, 10 rockcod, 8 lingcod.
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Aug 16.
Windy Mid-Week - Fish Early
A fresh breeze comes up tonight and blows through the week, strongest in the afternoons. Seas build to 5-7 feet on Tuesday and stay at 4-7 ft through Thursday. The long-period southerly swell (2 ft at 14-15 seconds) keeps dropping.
Marine Forecast
Today: NW 10-15 kt, becoming 15-20 kt in the afternoon, seas 3-5 ft
Tonight: NW 10-20 kt, seas 4-6 ft
Tuesday: NW 10-20 kt, becoming 20-25 kt in the afternoon, seas 5-7 ft
Tuesday night: NW 20-25 kt, becoming 10-20 kt after midnight, seas 5-7 ft
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 245 AM PDT Mon Aug 17 2026.
Wednesday and Thursday have NW 10-25 kt, stronger in the afternoons, with 4-7 ft seas.
Buoy Data (NDBC Buoy 46011 - Santa Maria)
- Water Temp: 65.3°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria)
- Wave Height: 4-5 ft
- Wave Period: 15 seconds (long period swell)
- Wind: NW 14-18 mph (6-8 m/s)
- Air Temp: 61°F (16°C)
Sources: NDBC buoy 46011; NWS zone PZZ645; lake levels from CDEC (NCM, LOP, ATN).