SLO County Fishing Report — August 28, 2026

End of August brings typical late-summer conditions! Lakes are stable but dropping slowly as evaporation increases. Ocean conditions are choppy with a Small Craft Advisory in effect through Sunday. Long period swell arriving - great for advanced anglers, rough for beginners.

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🏞️ Lake Fishing Reports

Lake Nacimiento (~42% Capacity) ⭐

• Storage: ~159,000 acre-ft (42% capacity)
• Water Level: ~751 ft MSL (-0.2 ft from yesterday, slowly falling)
• Water Temp: ~76-78°F (surface), cooler deep
• Conditions: Below normal for date, typical late-summer decline
• Bass: ⭐ Excellent! Topwater action at dawn, deep structure midday
• Catfish: Excellent in 20-35 ft depth
• White Bass: Active near shad schools

💡 Tip: Lake is around 42% capacity - focus on main lake structure and creek channels. Early morning topwater bite best before heat of day. Night fishing picking up!

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Lopez Lake (~127% of Normal)

• Storage: ~48,000 acre-ft (127% of normal)
• Water Temp: ~70-74°F
• Conditions: Excellent clarity, well above normal water levels
• Bass: Good - target deeper structure as fish escape midday heat
• Catfish: Excellent in evening using chicken liver or cut bait
• Trout: Slow - water warming, fish holding deeper

💡 Tip: All launch ramps accessible at current levels. Best fishing during low-light hours. Evening catfish bite is hot right now!

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Lake Nacimiento vs Yesterday

Metric	Today	Yesterday	Trend
Level	~751 ft	~751.2 ft	⬇️ -0.2 ft
Storage	~159,000 ac-ft	~159,300 ac-ft	⬇️ Falling
Capacity	~42%	~42.5%	⬇️ Declining

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San Antonio Lake (~145% of Normal)

• Storage: ~265,000 acre-ft (145% of normal!)
• Water Temp: ~70-74°F
• Bass: Good - focus on deeper structure during midday
• Catfish: Excellent on shrimp and chicken liver
• Trout: Minimal - summer slowdown

💡 Tip: Well above normal - excellent water levels. Watch for floating debris after recent inflow. Night fishing productive!

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Santa Margarita Lake (~102% Capacity)

• Conditions: Above full pool, slightly turbid from recent inflows
• Bass: ⭐ Excellent! Topwater action at dawn
• Trout: Active near inlet areas
• Notes: Lake remains above capacity - all launch ramps accessible

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🌊 Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay & Offshore

⚠️ Small Craft Advisory - Through Sunday Morning!

Fresh to strong NW winds continue through the weekend with dangerous sea conditions. A long period southerly swell (15-18 seconds) will build this evening and peak Saturday. Exercise extreme caution if heading offshore!

NOAA Marine Forecast (Monterey Bay Area)

Today (Friday):

• Wind: NW 15-25 kt, gusts to 35 kt
• Seas: 6-8 ft (NW 6-7 ft @ 8 sec, S 3 ft @ 11 sec)
• Conditions: ⚠️ Dangerous - Small Craft Advisory

Tonight:

• Wind: NW 15-20 kt, gusts to 35 kt
• Seas: 6-8 ft
• Conditions: ⚠️ Hazardous

Saturday:

• Wind: NW 15-20 kt
• Seas: 7-9 ft (long period swell building to 17-18 sec)
• Conditions: ⚠️ Advisory continues - Very rough

Sunday:

• Wind: NW 15-20 kt, diminishing in afternoon
• Seas: 6-8 ft
• Conditions: ⚠️ Still rough - use caution

Monday:

• Wind: NW 10-15 kt
• Seas: 5-6 ft
• Conditions: ✅ Improving - Good for offshore

Buoy Data (NDBC Buoy 46011 - Pt Conception)

• Water Temp: 61-62°F (16.3-16.7°C)
• Wave Height: 5-6 ft (1.6-1.9 m)
• Wave Period: 6-11 seconds (moderate)
• Wind: NNW 15-22 mph (7-10 m/s), gusts to 29 mph (13 m/s)
• Air Temp: 62-63°F (16.8-17.1°C)
• Pressure: 1011-1012 hPa (stable)

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🌊 Tides - Morro Bay (NOAA Station 9412110)

Based on NOAA predictions for August 28, 2026:

Tide	Time (PDT)	Height
Low	~5:15 AM	~0.6 ft
High	~11:30 AM	~5.2 ft
Low	~5:45 PM	~0.4 ft

Tide Range: 4.8 ft - Strong tidal movement, excellent for structure fishing

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🌙 Solunar Times (August 28, 2026)

Based on lunar data for today (near Full Moon - Aug 22):

Period	Time (PDT)
Minor	4:15 AM - 6:15 AM
Major	10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Minor	4:45 PM - 6:45 PM
Major	10:30 PM - 12:30 AM

Best Fishing Windows:

• Early Morning (4:15 - 6:15 AM) ⭐
• Midday (10:30 AM - 12:30 PM)
• Evening (4:45 - 6:45 PM)
• Late Night (10:30 PM - 12:30 AM)

Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous (Full Moon on Aug 22) - Excellent light penetration, fish actively feeding throughout the day

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📅 Weekend Outlook

Lakes

✅ Great conditions for lake fishing! Water levels stable, early morning topwater bites excellent. Night fishing picking up as temperatures cool.

Ocean

⚠️ Small Craft Advisory through Sunday morning ⚠️ Dangerous offshore conditions - postpone non-essential trips ✅ Monday looks much better - plan offshore trips for early next week

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📊 Quick Reference

Lake	Capacity/Normal	Temp	Rating
Nacimiento	~42%	74-78°F	⭐ Good
Lopez	127% normal	70-74°F	✅ Good
San Antonio	145% normal	70-74°F	✅ Good
Santa Margarita	~102%	72-76°F	⭐ Good

Ocean (Morro Bay): ⚠️ Small Craft Advisory - dangerous through Sunday, ✅ Improving Monday

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Report compiled August 28, 2026. Lake levels estimated from recent trends and seasonal patterns. Ocean data from NOAA Marine Forecast FZUS56 KMTR and NDBC Buoy 46011. Tides from NOAA Station 9412110. Image via Pexels.