San Luis Obispo County Fishing Report: 03-13-26
San Luis Obispo County Fishing Report: 03-13-26
Good morning, Central Coast anglers! Here's your fishing report for March 13th, 2026.
🔥 Heat Wave Fishing Tips
A rare March heat wave is hitting the Central Coast with temperatures expected to reach 85-95°F! This unusual weather will significantly impact fishing:
- Best times: Fish early morning (6-9 AM) and late evening (5-8 PM) to avoid the heat
- Midday: Fish will go deep to escape warm surface waters
- Watch water temps: Rising quickly with the heat — target deeper structure during midday
- Stay hydrated: Don't forget to take breaks and drink water while fishing!
🏞️ Lake Fishing Reports
Whale Rock Reservoir 🌟
- Temp: 72°F+, Partly cloudy, Clear water
- Largemouth Bass: ✅ HOT BIT! Fish in the 2-6 lb range being caught consistently
- Best Baits: Wacky worms, drop shot rigs, swim jigs, jerkbaits
- Tip: Focus on deeper structure and slow retrieves. Pre-spawn females moving up! Early morning topwater action before the sun heats up the water.
- Recent: 60+ largemouth bass landed this week!
Santa Margarita Lake
- Water: Low 50s to mid 60s depending on depth, stained visibility, near full capacity
- Bass: ✅ EXCELLENT! Pre-spawn mode — big females staging shallow in mornings
- Crappie: Active on primary points with bright-colored jigs
- Catfish: ✅ HOT! 15-25 pounders caught this week!
- Trout: Slow — last plant was end of February
- Tip: Work jigs along rocky points early and late — midday means deep water only
Lake Nacimiento 🌟
- Temp: 70°F, Clear water, near 61% capacity
- White Bass: ✅ EXCELLENT! Windy conditions bringing out the best bite
- Spotted Bass: Active on rocky points, crushing moving baits
- Best Lures: Bladed jigs (white/silver), pin-tail trailers, crankbaits
- Crappie: Big slabs hitting 2-3 inch swimbaits near rocky pockets
- Tip: Target wind-blown points and muddy areas early morning
San Antonio Lake
- Temp: ~58°F, roughly half full, slightly stained
- Trout: Slow — a few caught on chartreuse/rainbow PowerBait
- Catfish: ✅ Good! 3-8 lbs on garlic shrimp and chicken liver at backs of coves
- Bass: Warming up — try shallow crankbaits in 8-15 ft during low light
Lopez Lake
- Water: Receiving healthy runoff from recent storms
- Bass: ✅ Good — focus on shad-colored crankbaits and jerkbaits
- Panfish: Crappie and bluegill near marina on small Rapalas and white jigs
- Tip: Drop-shotting in 25+ ft for higher-quality bass
🌊 Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
Spring fishing is heating up along with the weather! Offshore conditions are excellent:
- Lingcod: Up to 35 lbs (season total: 3,200+)
- Rockfish: 62,000+ landed
- Vermilion Rockfish: 9,800
- Copper Rockfish: 2,500
- Bocaccio: 7,800
Charter Update: Full limits reported with lingcod up to 18 lbs! Water temps at 54-56°F at Ft. McAllister — warming nicely for spring species!
Shore/Pier Fishing: Surfperch and barred surfperch good from piers and beaches. Best during low tide and hour before/after tide changes. Perlwort and bloodworms working well.
⚠️ Heat Wave Note: Expect reduced charter activity midday due to heat — book morning trips for best conditions!
📅 Upcoming: Halibut season approaching — book your charters early!
📅 What to Expect This Week
- Bass moving into spawn mode with continued warming water temps
- White bass peak action at Lake Nacimiento during windy conditions
- Ocean fishing improving as water temps rise into the mid-50s
- Catfish action remains strong at Santa Margarita and San Antonio Lakes
- Crappie and panfish very active at most SLO County lakes
- HEAT WAVE: Fish early morning and late evening — midday will be slow
🎣 Get Your Gear Ready
Check our Fishing Guide for species info and regulations.
Tight lines, Central Coast! 🎣