SLO County Fishing Report — April 7, 2026
Tuesdaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121105 places
There is a newer report: SLO County Fishing Report — November 15, 2026 →
Verdicts by place
Lake Nacimiento
Good774.3 ft64% capacity
White bass excellent at dawn; spotted bass good
Santa Margarita Lake
GoodPre-spawn largemouth good moving shallow; catfish excellent
Lopez Lake
GoodBass good on shad cranks near points; trout improving
Morro Bay offshore
GoodRockfish biting well; lingcod excellent
Tides for the day
| 12:50 AM high | 4.7 ft |
|---|---|
| 8:56 AM low | 0.4 ft |
- range
- 4.3 ft
- sunrise
- 6:41 AM
- sunset
- 7:29 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Nacimiento | Santa Margarita | Lopez | San Antonio | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | excellentwhite · spotted | goodlargemouth | good | noted | not reported |
| Catfish | not reported | excellent | not reported | good | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | good | good | notedpanfish | not reported | goodblack perch & barred surfperch |
| Trout | not reported | not reported | fair | fair | not reported |
| Rockfish | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | noted |
| Lingcod | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | excellent |
By water
from the report- Level 774.3 ft, 246,400 AF (64% of capacity) — CDEC NCM, Apr 7.
- White Bass excellent Peak spawn continues, aggressive on surface lures at dawn
- Spotted Bass good Main lake points, creek channels, and rocky structure
- Crappie good 2-3 inch swimbaits near submerged timber, big slabs to 2lbs
None listed.
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Today
- seas
- 4–6 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
- Tonight
- seas
- 5–7 ft
- wind
- NW 20–30 kt
Full report2 min read ›
Fog this morning and low 70s by afternoon. White bass are still at peak spawn at Lake Nacimiento, and the rockfish are biting out of Morro Bay.
Weather Outlook
Morro Bay: 55°F and foggy early, warming to 72°F as it clears in the afternoon.
- Today: NW 10-20 kt, seas 4-6 ft
- Tonight: NW 20-30 kt, seas 5-7 ft
A small craft advisory ran until 3 AM this morning.
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 119 AM PDT Tue Apr 7 2026.
Lakes: Morning fog giving way to partly cloudy skies. Highs in the low 70s.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Level: 774.3 ft, 246,400 AF (64% of capacity) — CDEC NCM, Apr 7.
- White Bass: Excellent. Peak spawn continues, aggressive on surface lures at dawn
- Spotted Bass: Good. Main lake points, creek channels, and rocky structure
- Crappie: Good - 2-3 inch swimbaits near submerged timber, big slabs to 2lbs
Santa Margarita Lake
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Pre-spawn fish moving shallow
- Best Baits: Senkos, wacky rigs, drop-shots, jerkbaits
- Crappie: Good on primary points - try pink/orange jigs
- Catfish: Excellent on chicken liver and garlic shrimp
Lopez Lake
- Bass: Good - shad-colored crankbaits near points
- Panfish: Bluegill and crappie active near marina
- Trout: Improving - Panther Martin spinners near dam
San Antonio Lake
- Level: 754.3 ft, 212,700 AF (64% of capacity) — CDEC ATN, Apr 7.
- Trout: Fair - chartreuse/rainbow PowerBait near inlet
- Catfish: Good. 2-5 lbs on garlic shrimp and chicken liver
- Bass: Active - shallow crankbaits in 10-15 ft working well
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
- Lingcod: Excellent.
- Rockfish: RED-HOT — reds, coppers, canary and vermilion all biting
- Black Perch & Barred Surfperch: Good inshore action
Dock counts:
- Morro Bay Landing (Apr 6): Avenger, 3/4 day, 15 anglers: 65 rockfish, 23 bocaccio, 22 red rockfish, 8 lingcod (up to 8 lb).
- Patriot Sportfishing (Apr 6): Flying Fish, half day, 18 anglers: 127 rockcod, 14 bocaccio, 4 copper rockfish, 2 lingcod.
- Black Pearl Sportfishing (Apr 6): Black Pearl, 6-hour, 23 anglers: 124 rockfish (up to 5 lb), 11 vermilion rockfish (up to 6 lb).
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Apr 6.
Shore Fishing:
- Surfperch from piers and beaches - focus on sandy areas with kelp