SLO County Fishing Report — September 14, 2026

Monday brings challenging ocean conditions with a Small Craft Advisory in effect. Northwest winds 20-25 kt and seas 8-9 ft will make offshore fishing difficult. Lakes remain in great shape with excellent late-summer conditions. If you're planning a fishing trip, head to one of our local lakes!

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🏞️ Lake Fishing Reports

Lake Nacimiento ⭐

• Storage: ~158,000 acre-ft (estimated ~42% capacity)
• Water Level: 747.27 ft MSL (+0.06 ft from yesterday, stable)
• Water Temp: ~74-78°F (surface), cooler deep
• Conditions: Typical late-summer level, stable
• 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 is hot! Night fishing also productive as temps cool.

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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 during 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 excellent right now!

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Lake Nacimiento vs Yesterday

Metric	Today	Yesterday	Trend
Level	747.27 ft	747.21 ft	⬆️ +0.06 ft
Storage	~158,000 ac-ft	~158,000 ac-ft	➡️ Stable
Capacity	~42%	~42%	➡️ Stable

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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. Floating debris possible after summer 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 In Effect

CAUTION: A Small Craft Advisory is in effect through late Tuesday for all coastal waters. Northwest winds 20-25 kt and seas 8-9 ft will make offshore boating hazardous. Small craft should remain in port or exercise extreme caution.

Current Ocean Conditions (Morro Bay Area)

From NDBC Buoy 46011 (Pt Conception) and NOAA Marine Forecast:

• Water Temp: 57-62°F (14-16°C) - from NDBC Buoy 46011
• Wave Height: 8-9 ft (2.5-2.7 m) - from spec buoy data
• Wave Period: 8-9 seconds - moderate interval
• Swell Direction: W-NW (310-320°) - typical fall swell
• Wind: NW 20-25 kt (23-29 mph) - strong offshore
• Air Temp: ~55°F (13°C)
• Conditions: ⚠️ Hazardous - Small Craft Advisory

Outlook (NOAA):

• Today: NW 20-25 kt, seas 8-9 ft
• Tonight: NW 20-25 kt, seas 9-10 ft
• Tuesday: NW 20-25 kt, easing to 15-20 kt in afternoon, seas 7-9 ft
• Wednesday: Conditions improving - NW 10-15 kt, seas 5-7 ft

💡 Recommendation: Stick to lake fishing through Tuesday. Ocean conditions should improve significantly by Wednesday.

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🌊 Tides - Morro Bay (NOAA Station 9412110)

Based on NOAA predictions for September 14, 2026:

Tide	Time (PDT)	Height
Low	~6:00 AM	~1.79 ft
High	~12:24 PM	~5.41 ft
Low	~7:24 PM	~0.73 ft

Tide Range: ~4.7 ft - Large tidal movement, excellent for structure fishing

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🌙 Solunar Times (September 14, 2026)

Based on lunar data (Waxing Crescent - 8% illumination):

Period	Time (PDT)
Minor	5:15 AM - 7:15 AM
Major	11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Minor	5:45 PM - 7:45 PM
Major	11:30 PM - 1:30 AM

Best Fishing Windows:

• Early Morning (5:15 - 7:15 AM) ⭐
• Midday (11:30 AM - 1:30 PM)
• Evening (5:45 - 7:45 PM)
• Late Night (11:30 PM - 1:30 AM)

Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent (8% illumination) - New moon influence, fish feeding actively during low light periods

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📅 Week Outlook

Lakes

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

Ocean

⚠️ Hazardous conditions through Tuesday. Small Craft Advisory in effect. Reassess Wednesday - conditions should improve significantly with NW winds dropping to 10-15 kt and seas subsiding to 5-7 ft.

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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): ⚠️ Hazardous - Small Craft Advisory, stay off the water until Wednesday

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Report compiled September 14, 2026. Lake levels from US Lakes Info (nacimiento.uslakes.info) and USGS monitoring data. Ocean data from NOAA Marine Forecast (FZUS56 KMTR) and NDBC Buoy 46011. Tides from NOAA Station 9412110 via tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov.