SLO County Weekly Fishing Report — March 6, 2026
Fridaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121106 places
There is a newer report: SLO County Fishing Report — November 15, 2026 →
Verdicts by place
Whale Rock Reservoir
GoodLargemouth hot in clear water
Lake Nacimiento
Good775.0 ft65% capacity
White bass excellent on bladed jigs in wind
Santa Margarita Lake
FairBass improving in pre-spawn; catfish excellent; trout slow
San Antonio Lake
Fair753.6 ft64% capacity
Catfish good; trout slow, bass on deep pattern
Tides for the day
| 5:46 AM low | 0.6 ft |
|---|---|
| 11:42 AM high | 3.8 ft |
| 5:24 PM low | 1.2 ft |
| 11:47 PM high | 4.8 ft |
- range
- 4.2 ft
- sunrise
- 6:26 AM
- sunset
- 6:03 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Whale Rock | Santa Margarita | Nacimiento | San Antonio | Lopez | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | excellentlargemouth | fair | excellentwhite · spotted | noted | good | not reported |
| Catfish | not reported | excellent | not reported | good | not reported | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | not reported | noted | noted | not reported | notedpanfish | not reported |
| Trout | not reported | slow | not reported | slow | not reported | not reported |
| Rockfish | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | slow |
| Lingcod | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | slow |
By water
from the report- Water Clear
- Largemouth Bass excellent Up from Excellent on March 4.
- Wacky worms
- football jigs
- swing head jigs
- swim jigs
Go slow, and count before moving your bait. Prime time: 9:30 AM - 11 AM (March 4).
Full report2 min read ›
Reports from March 2 to 6, 2026. Whale Rock largemouth were the bite of the week, Nacimiento white bass hit in the wind, and Santa Margarita catfish stayed excellent.
Lake Fishing Reports
Whale Rock Reservoir
- Water: Clear
- Largemouth Bass: Hot. Up from Excellent on March 4.
- Best Baits: Wacky worms, football jigs, swing head jigs, swim jigs
- Tip: Go slow, and count before moving your bait. Prime time: 9:30 AM - 11 AM (March 4).
Santa Margarita Lake
- Water: Stained visibility
- Bass: Improving. Warming temps putting fish into full pre-spawn mode. Rated Good on March 2, then Slow but improving on March 4.
- Crappie: Active on primary points with bright-colored jigs
- Catfish: Excellent. Rated excellent in all three reports.
- Trout: Slow. Try PowerBait
Lake Nacimiento
- Level: 775.0 ft, 249,500 AF (65% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Mar 6.
- White Bass: Excellent. Wind brings on the best bite
- Spotted Bass: Active on rocky points and flats, chasing moving baits
- Best Lures: Bladed jigs (white/silver), pin-tail trailers, crankbaits
- Crappie: Try 3-inch swimbaits near rocky pockets
San Antonio Lake
- Level: 753.6 ft, 210,200 AF (64% of capacity), CDEC ATN, Mar 6.
- Trout: Slow. Try chartreuse/rainbow PowerBait
- Catfish: Good. Try garlic shrimp and chicken liver at backs of coves
- Bass: Starting to warm up. Try shallow crankbaits in 10-15 ft. On March 4 they were still on a deep winter pattern in 15-25 ft.
Lopez Lake
No new report from Lopez Lake since March 2.
- Bass: Good. Focus on shad-colored crankbaits and jerkbaits
- Panfish: Crappie and bluegill near marina on small Rapalas and white jigs
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
Boat-based fishing for rockfish, lingcod and other groundfish is closed off Morro Bay until April 1 (CDFW). Shore anglers are exempt and can still fish the rocks and jetties.
- Water Temp: 53-55°F (NDBC 46215, Diablo Canyon, morning, March 6)
- Lingcod: Closed. Boat season opens April 1 (CDFW).
- Rockfish: Closed. Boat season opens April 1 (CDFW), vermilion, copper and bocaccio included.
How the week went
On March 2, Santa Margarita catfish and Nacimiento white bass led, and Lopez bass were good on shad-colored crankbaits. On March 4, Whale Rock came in with excellent largemouth in clear water, and Santa Margarita bass dropped to slow but improving. On March 6, Whale Rock largemouth were hot, Nacimiento rose to 775.0 ft, and San Antonio bass began to move shallower.