SLO County Fishing Report — April 2, 2026
Thursdaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121104 places
There is a newer report: SLO County Fishing Report — November 15, 2026 →
Verdicts by place
Lake Nacimiento
Good774.8 ft65% capacity
White bass excellent on bladed jigs; spotted bass and crappie good
Santa Margarita Lake
GoodLargemouth good on drop-shots in 15-25 ft; catfish excellent
San Antonio Lake
FairCatfish good at 2-5 lbs; trout fair, bass improving
Morro Bay offshore
GoodRockfish excellent; lingcod good
Tides for the day
| 5:05 AM low | 0.1 ft |
|---|---|
| 11:08 AM high | 4.1 ft |
| 4:47 PM low | 1.1 ft |
| 10:59 PM high | 5.2 ft |
- range
- 5.1 ft
- sunrise
- 6:48 AM
- sunset
- 7:25 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Nacimiento | Santa Margarita | Lopez | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | excellentwhite · spotted | goodlargemouth | good | not reported |
| Catfish | not reported | excellent | not reported | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | good | noted | not reported | not reported |
| Trout | not reported | fair | not reported | not reported |
| Rockfish | not reported | not reported | not reported | excellent |
| Lingcod | not reported | not reported | not reported | good |
| Salmon | not reported | not reported | not reported | slow |
By water
from the report- Level 774.8 ft, 248,800 AF (65% of capacity) — CDEC NCM, Apr 2.
- White Bass excellent Big schools roaming; white bladed jigs
- Spotted Bass Great on main lake points and creek channels, best on reaction baits
- Crappie good
None listed.
The 6-9 AM bite is best, on the wind-blown points.
Full report1 min read ›
At Lake Nacimiento the white bass are still roaming in big schools. Out of Morro Bay and Avila, the boats on the April 1 opener came back with rockfish and some lingcod.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Level: 774.8 ft, 248,800 AF (65% of capacity) — CDEC NCM, Apr 2.
- White Bass: Excellent. Big schools roaming; white bladed jigs
- Spotted Bass: Great on main lake points and creek channels, best on reaction baits
- Crappie: Good.
- Tip: The 6-9 AM bite is best, on the wind-blown points.
Santa Margarita Lake
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Fish holding in 15-25 ft, and drop-shotting is productive
- Best Baits: Senkos, drop-shots, Neko rigs, dark finesse worms
- Crappie: Active on main lake points on small bright jigs
- Catfish: Excellent.
- Trout: Fair.
Lopez Lake
- Level: 515.5 ft, 43,100 AF (87% of capacity) — CDEC LOP, Apr 2.
- Bass: Good.
- Tip: Go to 25-35 ft with a drop-shot for the bigger bass.
San Antonio Lake
No new report from San Antonio Lake since March 31.
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
- Lingcod: Good.
- Rockfish: Excellent. A good mix of species: vermilion strong, coppers in good numbers, bocaccio active in 100-150 ft
- Salmon: Closed. The Monterey area season opens April 11 (CDFW).
Dock counts:
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Apr 1.