San Luis Obispo County Fishing Report: 03-17-26
San Luis Obispo County Fishing Report: 03-17-26
Good morning, Central Coast anglers! Here's your fishing report for March 17th, 2026.
🌤️ Conditions Overview
Mild spring weather with partly cloudy skies — excellent fishing conditions across the board! Water temps are continuing to warm, pushing fish into pre-spawn and spawn modes.
🏞️ Lake Fishing Reports
Whale Rock Reservoir 🌟
- Temp: 66-70°F, Partly cloudy, Clear water, ~92% capacity
- Largemouth Bass: ✅ HOT BIT! Fish in the 2-7 lb range being caught consistently
- Best Baits: Wacky worms, drop shot rigs, swim jigs, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits
- Tip: Prime time for pre-spawn females! Focus on deeper structure and rocky points. Early morning topwater action before sun heats the water — try walking plugs and poppers in calm mornings.
- Recent: 70+ largemouth bass landed this week!
Santa Margarita Lake
- Water: Low 50s to mid 60s depending on depth, slight stain, near full capacity
- Bass: ✅ EXCELLENT! Pre-spawn mode — big females moving shallow in mornings
- Crappie: Active on primary points with bright-colored jigs and small swimbaits
- Catfish: ✅ HOT! 15-25 pounders caught this week!
- Trout: Slow — waiting for spring plants
- Tip: Work jigs along rocky points early and late — midday means deep water only. Catfish are hitting chicken liver and garlic shrimp in cove mouths.
Lake Nacimiento 🌟
- Temp: 66-68°F, Clear water, ~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, spinnerbaits
- Crappie: Big slabs hitting 2-3 inch swimbaits near rocky pockets
- Tip: Target wind-blown points and muddy areas early morning. White bass schooling action picking up!
San Antonio Lake
- Temp: ~54-58°F, roughly half full, slightly stained
- Trout: Slow — a few caught on chartreuse/rainbow PowerBait in deeper water
- Catfish: ✅ Good! 3-10 lbs on garlic shrimp and chicken liver at backs of coves
- Bass: Warming up — try shallow crankbaits in 8-15 ft during low light hours
- Tip: Focus on deeper structure until water temps rise more
Lopez Lake
- Water: Receiving healthy runoff from winter storms, good storage levels
- Bass: ✅ Good — focus on shad-colored crankbaits and jerkbaits near points
- Panfish: Crappie and bluegill near marina on small Rapalas and white jigs
- Tip: Drop-shotting in 25+ ft for higher-quality bass. Night fishing for catfish has been productive!
🌊 Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
Spring fishing heating up as water temps climb! Offshore conditions are improving daily:
- Lingcod: Season underway — quality fish up to 30+ lbs reported
- Rockfish: Excellent nearshore action, limits common
- Vermilion Rockfish: Good numbers
- Copper Rockfish: Solid catch rates
- Bocaccio: Improving as water warms
Charter Update: Full limits typical on half-day trips! Lingcod up to 18 lbs. Water temps at 54-56°F at Ft. McAllister — warming toward prime spring conditions!
Shore/Pier Fishing: Surfperch and barred surfperch good from piers and beaches. Best during low light hours and around tide changes. Perlwort, bloodworms, and mussels working well.
📅 Upcoming: Halibut season approaching — conditions improving for early season prospects!
📅 What to Expect This Week
- Bass moving deeper into spawn mode with continued warming
- White bass peak action at Lake Nacimiento during windy conditions
- Ocean fishing reaching prime spring levels
- Catfish action remains strong at Santa Margarita, San Antonio, and Lopez Lakes
- Crappie and panfish very active at most SLO County lakes
- Trout plants expected to begin in earnest as lowland lakes warm
🎣 Get Your Gear Ready
Check our Fishing Guide for species info and regulations.
Tight lines, Central Coast! 🎣