SLO County Weekly Fishing Report — March 15, 2026
Sundaygauge 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; topwater works early
Santa Margarita Lake
GoodBass excellent in pre-spawn; catfish hot
Lake Nacimiento
Good775.3 ft66% capacity
White bass excellent on bladed jigs off wind-blown points
San Antonio Lake
Fair753.9 ft64% capacity
Catfish good; trout slow
Tides for the day
| 2:09 AM low | 2.2 ft |
|---|---|
| 8:05 AM high | 4.9 ft |
| 3:09 PM low | -0.4 ft |
| 9:39 PM high | 3.9 ft |
- range
- 5.3 ft
- minus tide
- -0.4 ft
- sunrise
- 7:14 AM
- sunset
- 7:10 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 | excellent | 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 | not reported | 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 Rated hot in every Whale Rock report this week.
- Wacky worms
- drop shot rigs
- swim jigs
- jerkbaits
Pre-spawn females are staging on deeper structure. Topwater works early.
Full report2 min read ›
Reports from March 9 to 15, 2026. Whale Rock largemouth and Santa Margarita pre-spawn bass were the hot bites, and Nacimiento white bass were excellent in every report through March 12.
Lake Fishing Reports
Whale Rock Reservoir
- Water: Clear
- Largemouth Bass: Hot. Rated hot in every Whale Rock report this week.
- Best Baits: Wacky worms, drop shot rigs, swim jigs, jerkbaits
- Tip: Pre-spawn females are staging on deeper structure. Topwater works early.
Santa Margarita Lake
Last report March 13.
- Water: Stained visibility
- Bass: Excellent. Pre-spawn mode. Try the shallows in the morning. Hot on March 9, good on March 11.
- Catfish: Hot. Rated excellent on March 9 and 11. Try garlic shrimp and chicken liver.
- Crappie: Active on primary points with bright-colored jigs
- Trout: Slow.
- Best Baits: Senkos, drop-shots, Neko setups, finesse rigs
- Tip: Work jigs along rocky points early and late. Midday means deep water only.
Lake Nacimiento
Last report March 12.
- Level: 775.3 ft, 250,800 AF (66% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Mar 12.
- White Bass: Excellent. Windy days give the best bite.
- Spotted Bass: Active on rocky points, hitting moving baits
- Crappie: Try 2-3 inch swimbaits near rocky pockets
- Best Lures: Bladed jigs (white/silver), hula grubs, drop shots, pin-tail trailers
- Tip: Target wind-blown points and muddy areas. Main lake points in 15-20 ft on windy days.
San Antonio Lake
Last report March 12.
- Level: 753.9 ft, 211,400 AF (64% of capacity), CDEC ATN, Mar 12.
- Catfish: Good. Try garlic shrimp and chicken liver at backs of coves.
- Trout: Slow. Try chartreuse/rainbow PowerBait
- Bass: Warming up. Try shallow crankbaits in 8-15 ft
Lopez Lake
Last report March 12.
- Water: Receiving healthy runoff from recent storms
- Bass: Good. Focus on shad-colored crankbaits and jerkbaits
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.
- Lingcod: Closed. Boat season opens April 1 (CDFW).
- Rockfish: Closed. Boat season opens April 1 (CDFW), vermilion, copper and bocaccio included.
Shore/Pier Fishing: Surfperch and barred surfperch good from piers and beaches. Best at low tide and in the hour either side of a tide change. Bloodworms working well.
How the week went
A March heat wave was due on March 13, with highs forecast at 85-95°F, so the advice was to fish early (6-9 AM) and late (5-8 PM) and work deeper structure at midday. After March 12 only Whale Rock and Santa Margarita had new reports, and the weekend of March 14 and 15 looked partly cloudy and mild.