SLO County Fishing Report — October 7, 2026

Mid-October brings a transition pattern to the Central Coast! Ocean conditions are ramping up with building seas and increasing winds, while lake fishing remains strong with fall feeding patterns in full swing.

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🏞️ Lake Fishing Reports

Lake Nacimiento (~52% Capacity) ⭐

• Storage: ~195,000 acre-ft (52% capacity)
• Water Level: 742.76 ft MSL (+0.02 ft from yesterday, stable)
• Water Temp: ~68-72°F (surface), cooler deep
• Conditions: Good fall fishing conditions
• Bass: ⭐ Good! Target deeper structure, early morning topwater
• Catfish: Good in 20-35 ft depth
• White Bass: Active near points and creek channels

💡 Tip: Lake is around 52% capacity - focus on main lake points and creek channels. Fall turnover is happening - fish are moving to deeper water. Early morning topwater bite best before fog lifts!

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Lopez Lake (~78% Capacity)

• Storage: ~38,100 acre-ft (77.5% capacity)
• Water Level: 510.49 ft (-0.20 ft over last 7 days, slowly falling)
• Water Temp: ~66-70°F
• Conditions: Good clarity, typical fall levels
• Bass: Good - target deeper structure and shaded areas
• Catfish: Good on cut bait and chicken liver
• Trout: Slow - warming water, fish holding deeper

💡 Tip: Lake level slowly declining - still all launch ramps accessible at current levels. Fall fish are feeding aggressively in preparation for winter. Morning and evening best!

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Lake Nacimiento vs Yesterday

Metric	Today	Yesterday	Trend
Level	742.76 ft	742.74 ft	➡️ +0.02 ft
Storage	~195,000 ac-ft	~195,000 ac-ft	➡️ Stable
Capacity	~52%	~52%	➡️ Stable

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San Antonio Lake (~140% of Normal)

• Storage: ~255,000 acre-ft (140% of normal)
• Water Temp: ~66-70°F
• Bass: Good - focus on deeper structure
• Catfish: Good on shrimp and chicken liver

💡 Tip: Well above normal - excellent water levels for this time of year. Fall fishing heating up!

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Santa Margarita Lake (~95% Capacity)

• Storage: ~32,000 acre-ft (~95% capacity)
• Water Temp: ~66-70°F
• Conditions: Good fall fishing conditions
• Bass: ⭐ Good! Early morning topwater action
• Trout: Fair - target deeper water

💡 Tip: Lake at healthy level for fall. All launch ramps accessible. Early morning bite best!

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🌊 Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay & Offshore

Fair Conditions - Building Seas, Increasing Winds

A weather system approaches the Central Coast, bringing increasing winds and building seas. Wednesday and Thursday offer decent conditions before rough weather arrives Friday.

NOAA Marine Forecast (Monterey Bay Area)

Today (Wednesday):

• Wind: NW 10-15 kt
• Seas: 5-6 ft (NW 5 ft @ 9 sec, S 3 ft @ 12 sec)
• Conditions: ⚠️ Exercise caution

Tonight:

• Wind: NW 10-15 kt
• Seas: 5-7 ft
• Conditions: ⚠️ Caution

Thursday:

• Wind: NW 5-10 kt
• Seas: 7-8 ft (NW 7 ft @ 14 sec, S 4 ft @ 14 sec)
• Conditions: ⚠️ Moderate - Long period swell arriving

Friday:

• Wind: NW 15-20 kt, rising to 20-25 kt
• Seas: 8-10 ft, building to 9-12 ft
• Conditions: ⚠️ Rough - Not recommended

Weekend:

• Wind: NW 25-30 kt
• Seas: 13-15 ft
• Conditions: ⚠️ Dangerous - Stay port!

Buoy Data (NDBC Buoy 46011 - Pt Conception)

Latest observations:

• Water Temp: 69°F (20.5°C)
• Wave Height: 3.5-4.3 ft (1.1-1.3 m)
• Wave Period: 6-8 seconds (moderate)
• Wind: NW 9-16 mph (4-7 m/s)
• Air Temp: 64-68°F (18-20°C)
• Pressure: 1011-1012 hPa (stable, slight rise)

💡 Note: Water temps cooling into the upper 60s - fish moving to deeper structure. baitfish schools active along the coast!

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🌊 Tides - Morro Bay

October 7, 2026 - Moderate tides with good range:

Tide	Time (PDT)	Height
Low	~3:00 AM	~1.0 ft
High	~9:15 AM	~5.2 ft
Low	~3:15 PM	~0.8 ft
High	~9:30 PM	~5.0 ft

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

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🌙 Solunar Times (October 7, 2026)

Lunar data for today:

Period	Time (PDT)
Minor	6:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Major	12:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Minor	6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Major	12:15 AM - 2:15 AM

Best Fishing Windows:

• Early Morning (6:00 - 8:00 AM) ⭐
• Midday (12:15 - 2:15 PM)
• Evening (6:30 - 8:30 PM)
• Late Night (12:15 AM - 2:15 AM)

Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous - Strong feeding activity, fish very active

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📅 Week Outlook

Lakes

✅ Great conditions for lake fishing! Fall turnover complete, fish feeding aggressively. Early morning topwater action excellent. Get out before weekend rain.

Ocean

⚠️ Fair today and tomorrow ⚠️ Building seas Thursday ❌ Rough Friday through weekend - Stay port!

Best Days This Week: Wednesday & Thursday for ocean, any day for lakes

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📊 Quick Reference

Lake	Capacity/Normal	Level	Temp	Rating
Nacimiento	~52%	742.76 ft	68-72°F	⭐ Good
Lopez	~78%	510.49 ft	66-70°F	✅ Good
San Antonio	140% normal	-	66-70°F	✅ Good
Santa Margarita	~95%	-	66-70°F	⭐ Good

Ocean (Morro Bay): ⚠️ Fair - NW 10-15 kt, seas 5-6 ft, caution advised

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Report compiled October 7, 2026. Lake levels from US Lakes Info and LakeBrief. Ocean data from NOAA Marine Forecast FZUS56 KMTR and NDBC Buoy 46011. Image via Pexels (James Lee).