SLO County Fishing Report — April 12, 2026
Morro Bay Ocean Fishing 🎣
What's Biting: Rockfish season is in full swing! The recent fish counts from Virg's Landing show excellent action with anglers landing solid limits of mixed rockfish.
Top Catches This Week:
- Blue Rockfish — Most abundant, great table fare
- Vermilion Rockfish — Popular and plentiful
- Yellowtail Rockfish — Strong numbers recently
- Lingcod — Good activity, up to 9 per trip
- Bocaccio — Also showing up in good numbers
Best Gear: Metal jigs tipped with squid are producing well. Focus on rocky structure, wrecks, and reefs.
Conditions: Water temperature is warming as we move into spring, making fish more active. Morning trips have been producing well.
SLO County Lakes
Santa Margarita Lake — Trout fishing has been fair. PowerBait and small lures working. Bass action picking up as water warms.
Whale Rock Reservoir — Trout planted regularly. Catfish starting to get more active.
Lake Nacimiento — Striper fishing heating up. Trolling deep diving lures working well.
San Antonio Lake — Good for trout, especially early morning. Bass fishing improving.
Tips for This Week
- 🎯 Rockfish limits are easy to fill — focus on structure
- 🌅 Early morning (6-9 AM) best for lake fishing
- 🐟 Salmon season approaching — start preparing gear
Stay safe and tight lines! 🐟