SLO County Fishing Report — September 1, 2026
Tuesdaygauge 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
Good3–4 ftwater 62.8°F
Light wind, 3-4 ft seas, long south swell; good for trips out
Lake Nacimiento
Good750.4 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
| 1:09 AM high | 4.0 ft |
|---|---|
| 6:43 AM low | 1.7 ft |
| 1:10 PM high | 5.4 ft |
| 8:12 PM low | 0.9 ft |
- range
- 4.5 ft
- sunrise
- 6:36 AM
- sunset
- 7:30 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 750.4 ft, 152,341 AF (40% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Sep 1.
- 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
- Todaylighter
- seas
- 3–4 ft
- wind
- W 10–15 kt
W 10-15 kt this afternoon, light winds this morning, seas 3-4 ft with a south swell 3 ft at 13 seconds
- Tonightlighter
- seas
- 3 ft
- wind
- NW 10–15 kt
becoming N 5-10 kt after midnight
- Wednesday
- seas
- 2–4 ft
- wind
- NW 15–20 kt
NW 15-20 kt in the afternoon, N 5-10 kt in the morning
- Thursday
- seas
- 3–5 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
Full report2 min read ›
A calm Tuesday on the ocean, with light westerly breezes and a long-period south swell from tropical cyclone activity. Nacimiento is at 40% of capacity and San Antonio at 50% (CDEC), and both are still dropping a little each day.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Water Level: 750.4 ft, 152,341 AF (40% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Sep 1.
- Bass: Excellent. Topwater at dawn, deep structure midday
- Catfish: Excellent in 20-35 ft
- White Bass: Active near shad schools
Lopez Lake
- Storage: 511.5 ft, 39,841 AF (81% of capacity), CDEC LOP, Sep 1.
- 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 at this level.
San Antonio Lake
- Water Level: 741.0 ft, 164,334 AF (50% of capacity), CDEC ATN, Sep 1.
- Bass: Good on deeper structure midday
- Catfish: Excellent on shrimp and chicken liver
- Trout: Minimal, the usual summer slowdown
Tip: The level is stable. Watch for floating debris. Night fishing is productive.
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
Patriot Sportfishing (Aug 31): Sunny Day, 3/4 day, 4 anglers: 35 rockcod, 4 copper rockfish, 2 lingcod, 1 red rockcod.
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Aug 31.
Gentle W to NW breezes today, moderate at times. The south swell from the tropics is reaching the coast, but the seas stay manageable.
Current Ocean Conditions (Morro Bay Area)
- Water Temp: 62.8°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria, morning)
- Wave Height: 3-4 ft (1.1m)
- Wave Period: 8-14 seconds, the long interval from the south
- Swell Direction: NW (dominant) + S (long period)
- Wind: NNW-N at 5-13 mph (2-6 m/s)
- Air Temp: ~61-62°F (16-17°C)
- Conditions: Calm winds, manageable seas
Marine forecast
Today: W 10-15 kt this afternoon, light winds this morning, seas 3-4 ft with a south swell 3 ft at 13 seconds Tonight: NW 10-15 kt, becoming N 5-10 kt after midnight, seas 3 ft Wednesday: NW 15-20 kt in the afternoon, N 5-10 kt in the morning, seas 2-4 ft Thursday: NW 10-20 kt, seas 3-5 ft
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 110 AM PDT Tue Sep 1 2026.
Sources: NDBC buoy 46011; lake levels from CDEC; weather from Open-Meteo.