journal / field-reports / 2026-04-26
SLO County Fishing Report — April 26, 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
Lake Nacimiento
GoodLargemouth excellent at peak spawn; big females 6-10 lbs
Lopez Lake
GoodTrout excellent with trollers hitting limits; bass good
Whale Rock Reservoir
GoodHot largemouth bite near shore 8-11 AM on Ned rigs
Morro Bay offshore
GoodBig rockfish counts; W 5-10 kt, seas 3-4 ft
Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 9412110 · ft MLLW · Pacific time
Tides for the day
| 1:18 AM low | 1.7 ft |
|---|---|
| 6:52 AM high | 4.3 ft |
| 1:30 PM low | 0.0 ft |
| 8:08 PM high | 4.7 ft |
- range
- 4.7 ft
- sunrise
- 6:17 AM
- sunset
- 7:44 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Nacimiento | Lopez | Santa Margarita | Whale Rock | San Antonio | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | excellentlargemouth · spotted · white | goodsmallmouth · largemouth | goodlargemouth | excellentlargemouth · spotted | goodlargemouth | not reported |
| Catfish | good | fairblue | not reported | not reported | good | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | good | noted& bluegill | goodred-ear sunfish | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Trout | not reported | excellentrainbow | slow | not reported | fair | not reported |
| Rockfish | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | noted |
| Lingcod | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | excellent |
| Halibut | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | noted |
By water
from the reportWater
- Conditions Clear to slightly stained. Every bass species is biting.
What's biting
- Largemouth Bass excellent Peak spawn activity. Big females (6-10 lbs) are guarding beds in shallow bays and protected coves. Focus on 5-15 ft depth near gravel beds and hard bottom. Punch baits, soft plastics and lizards are catching the most fish. Topwater early morning continues to produce big hits.
- Spotted Bass excellent Aggressive post-spawn feeding. White bladed jigs and jerkbaits along main lake points and rocky humps.
- White Bass excellent Schools staging near windy main lake points. White/chartreuse bucktail jigs and small crankbaits keep the action steady.
- Crappie good 1-2 lb slabs hanging around submerged timber and rocky pockets. Small swimbaits and jigs.
- Catfish good Chicken liver and cut bait near creek channels at dawn/dusk.
Lures & bait
None listed.
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Todaylighter
- seas
- 3–4 ft
- wind
- W 5–10 kt
- Tonightlighter
- seas
- 3–5 ft
- wind
- NW 5–10 kt
Full report2 min read ›
The bass are spawning, and the Morro Bay boats are coming back with big rockfish counts.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
Conditions: Clear to slightly stained. Every bass species is biting.
- Largemouth Bass: Excellent. Peak spawn activity. Big females (6-10 lbs) are guarding beds in shallow bays and protected coves. Focus on 5-15 ft depth near gravel beds and hard bottom. Punch baits, soft plastics and lizards are catching the most fish. Topwater early morning continues to produce big hits.
- Spotted Bass: Excellent. Aggressive post-spawn feeding. White bladed jigs and jerkbaits along main lake points and rocky humps.
- White Bass: Excellent. Schools staging near windy main lake points. White/chartreuse bucktail jigs and small crankbaits keep the action steady.
- Crappie: Good. 1-2 lb slabs hanging around submerged timber and rocky pockets. Small swimbaits and jigs.
- Catfish: Good. Chicken liver and cut bait near creek channels at dawn/dusk.
Lopez Lake
Conditions: Slightly stained, all boating access open.
- Rainbow Trout: Excellent. CDFW spring stockings in full swing. Shore anglers doing well with chartreuse/rainbow PowerBait near the marina and campground areas. Trollers hitting limits on orange/pink spinners and small spoons.
- Smallmouth Bass: Good. Creek arms and windy coves producing. Soft plastics, shad-colored crankbaits, and jerkbaits near oak-lined banks.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Moving to shallower water. Topwater and finesse plastics near submerged structure.
- Crappie & Bluegill: Active near the marina and shallow coves. White jigs, small Rapalas, and redworms.
- Blue Catfish: Decent. Garlic shrimp and chicken liver near deeper creek channels.
Santa Margarita Lake
Conditions: Visibility good.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Spawn is wrapping up but fish are still shallow and aggressive. Focus on points, protected coves, and weed edges. Swim jigs, Texas rigs, and topwater are producing 2-3 lb fish.
- Red-ear Sunfish: Good in vegetated areas, crickets and worms.
- Crappie: Fair. Near brush piles and deeper structure.
- Trout: Slow but some action on PowerBait near the Marina.
Whale Rock Reservoir
- Largemouth Bass: Hot bite. Partly cloudy, bass staging near shore, best window 8:00–11:00 AM.
- Presentation: Ned Rig, Swing Head, Texas-rigged green pumpkin plastics. Average 2-2.5 lbs.
- Spotted Bass: Active on drop-offs, deep crankbaits.
San Antonio Lake
- Level: 754.3 ft, 212,900 AF (64% of capacity) — CDEC ATN, Apr 26.
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Transitioning from spawn. Deep crankbaits in 15-25 ft, moving shallower as temps rise.
- Catfish: Good at dusk/dawn on garlic shrimp and chicken liver.
- Trout: Fair. Chartreuse PowerBait near deeper water.
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
Recent charter highlights:
- Lingcod: Strong catches continuing.
- Rockfish: Big numbers. Top performers: Blue Rockfish, Vermilion, Copper, Bocaccio, and Yellowtail.
- Halibut: Starting to show up.
Dock counts:
- Morro Bay Landing (Apr 25): Endeavor, full day, 28 anglers: 180 rockfish, 56 red rockfish, 30 bocaccio, 16 lingcod.
- Patriot Sportfishing (Apr 25): Patriot, half day, 30 anglers: 112 rockcod, 17 bocaccio, 13 red rockcod, 3 lingcod (up to 8 lb).
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Apr 25.
- Today: W 5-10 kt, seas 3-4 ft
- Tonight: NW 5-10 kt, seas 3-5 ft
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 236 AM PDT Sun Apr 26 2026.
Regulations reminder: Quillback and yelloweye rockfish remain closed. Check CDFW regulations before your trip.