SLO County Fishing Report — September 19, 2026

Saturday brings moderate ocean conditions with small craft advisories along the central coast. Northwest winds 15-20 kt and seas 6-8 ft will make offshore fishing challenging but doable for experienced anglers. Lakes remain in excellent shape for Labor Day weekend fishing!

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🏞️ Lake Fishing Reports

Lake Nacimiento ⭐

• Storage: ~158,000 acre-ft (estimated ~42% capacity)
• Water Level: ~747 ft MSL (stable, typical late-summer level)
• 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 ft	~747 ft	➡️ Stable
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 Sunday night for all coastal waters. Northwest winds 15-20 kt and seas 6-8 ft will make offshore boating challenging. Small craft should exercise caution or remain in port.

Current Ocean Conditions (Morro Bay Area)

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

• Water Temp: 68-70°F (20°C) - from NDBC Buoy 46011
• Wave Height: 6-7 ft (2.0-2.1 m) - from buoy data
• Wave Period: 7-8 seconds - moderate interval
• Swell Direction: NW (320°) - typical fall swell
• Wind: NW 15-20 kt (17-23 mph) - offshore winds
• Air Temp: ~62°F (17°C)
• Conditions: ⚠️ Caution advised - Small Craft Advisory

Outlook (NOAA):

• Today (Sat): NW 15-20 kt, seas 6-7 ft
• Tonight: NW around 20 kt, seas 6-7 ft
• Sunday: NW 15-20 kt, seas 6-7 ft
• Monday: Conditions improving - NW 10-15 kt, seas 5-7 ft

💡 Recommendation: Experienced anglers can fish nearshore but avoid offshore ventures. Best to stay close to shore or head to the lakes this weekend.

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🌊 Tides - Morro Bay (NOAA Station 9412110)

Based on NOAA predictions for September 19, 2026:

Tide	Time (PDT)	Height
Low	~5:12 AM	~1.89 ft
High	~11:42 AM	~5.31 ft
Low	~6:03 PM	~0.88 ft

Tide Range: ~4.4 ft - Good tidal movement, excellent for structure fishing

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🌙 Solunar Times (September 19, 2026)

Based on lunar data (Waxing Gibbous - 72% illumination):

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

Best Fishing Windows:

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

Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous (72% illumination) - Fish feeding actively during major feeding 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 for Labor Day weekend.

Ocean

⚠️ Caution advised through Sunday. Small Craft Advisory in effect. Conditions improve Monday with lighter winds (10-15 kt) and seas dropping to 5-7 ft. Plan offshore trips for mid-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): ⚠️ Caution - Small Craft Advisory, nearshore fishing only until Monday

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Report compiled September 19, 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.