SLO County Fishing Report — August 30, 2026
Sundaygauge 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
Good5–6 ft
Seas 6-8 ft today with NW 20-25 kt this afternoon; 4-5 ft by Monday
Lake Nacimiento
Good750.9 ft40% capacity
Bass: Excellent, topwater action at dawn, deep structure midday; Catfish: Excellent in 20-35 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
| 5:49 AM low | 0.7 ft |
|---|---|
| 12:07 PM high | 5.0 ft |
| 6:17 PM low | 1.3 ft |
- range
- 4.3 ft
- sunrise
- 6:34 AM
- sunset
- 7:33 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 750.9 ft, 154,088 AF (40% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Aug 30.
- Bass excellent Topwater at dawn, deep structure midday
- Catfish excellent In 20-35 ft
- White Bass Active near shad schools
None listed.
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Today
- seas
- 6–8 ft
- wind
- NW 20–25 kt
NW 20-25 kt this afternoon, 10-20 kt this morning
- Tonight
- seas
- 5–7 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
easing to 10-20 kt after midnight
- Mondaylighter
- seas
- 4–5 ft
- wind
- NW 10–15 kt
- Tuesdaylighter
- seas
- 3–4 ft
- wind
- NW 10–15 kt
NW 10-15 kt in the afternoon, N 5-10 kt in the morning
Full report2 min read ›
After the rough end of last week, the seas start to come down tonight. Nacimiento fell another 0.3 ft overnight (CDEC), and the evening catfish bite is good on most of the lakes.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Water Level: 750.9 ft, 154,088 AF (40% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Aug 30.
- Bass: Excellent. Topwater at dawn, deep structure midday
- Catfish: Excellent in 20-35 ft
- White Bass: Active near shad schools
Tip: Fish main-lake structure and the creek channels. Night fishing is picking up.
Lopez Lake
- Conditions: Clear water
- Bass: Good on deeper structure in the midday heat
- Catfish: Excellent in the evening on chicken liver or cut bait
- Trout: Slow.
Tip: All launch ramps are open.
San Antonio Lake
- Bass: Good on deeper structure midday
- Catfish: Excellent on shrimp and chicken liver
- Trout: Minimal, the usual summer slowdown
Santa Margarita Lake
- Conditions: Slightly turbid from recent inflows
- Bass: Excellent on topwater at dawn
- Trout: Active near the inlets
- Notes: All launch ramps are open
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay & Offshore
Morro Bay Landing (Aug 29): Avenger, 3/4 day, 28 anglers: 250 rockfish, 18 copper rockfish, 17 lingcod (up to 19 pounds), 10 bocaccio.
Patriot Sportfishing (Aug 29): Patriot (Avila Beach), 1/2 day, 26 anglers: 155 rockcod, 8 red rockcod, 4 copper rockfish, 1 lingcod.
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Aug 29.
Seas run 6-8 ft today and come down to 4-5 ft on Monday.
Current Ocean Conditions (Morro Bay Area)
- Water Temp: 61-62°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria, morning)
- Wave Height: 5-6 ft (1.6 m) - moderate swell
- Wave Period: 9 seconds
- Swell Direction: WNW (294°)
- Wind: NNE at 9 mph (14.8 km/h), light and offshore
- Air Temp: ~51°F (10.7°C)
- Conditions: Seas calming
Marine forecast
Today: NW 20-25 kt this afternoon, 10-20 kt this morning, seas 6-8 ft Tonight: NW 15-25 kt, easing to 10-20 kt after midnight, seas 5-7 ft Monday: NW 10-15 kt, seas 4-5 ft Tuesday: NW 10-15 kt in the afternoon, N 5-10 kt in the morning, seas 3-4 ft
A small craft advisory was in effect until 3 AM this morning.
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 235 AM PDT Sun Aug 30 2026.
It is a good day for nearshore rockfish, or for an offshore salmon or tuna trip.