SLO County Fishing Report — May 14, 2026
Thursdaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121105 places
There is a newer report: SLO County Fishing Report — November 15, 2026 →
Verdicts by place
Whale Rock Reservoir
GoodHot largemouth bite, 2-3 lb fish within 20 ft of shore
Lake Nacimiento
GoodWhite bass excellent with strong catch ratios
San Antonio Lake
Fair753.6 ft64% capacity
Catfish good at 2-5 lbs; trout improving
Morro Bay offshore
GoodRockfish excellent on bottom
Tides for the day
| 3:03 AM low | -0.1 ft |
|---|---|
| 9:11 AM high | 3.8 ft |
| 2:22 PM low | 1.4 ft |
| 8:43 PM high | 5.9 ft |
- range
- 6.0 ft
- minus tide
- -0.1 ft
- sunrise
- 6:00 AM
- sunset
- 7:59 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Santa Margarita | Whale Rock | San Antonio | Nacimiento | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | noted | excellentlargemouth · spotted | noted | excellentwhite · spotted | not reported |
| Catfish | not reported | not reported | good | good& carp | not reported |
| Trout | not reported | not reported | fair | not reported | not reported |
| Rockfish | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | excellentvermilion |
| Lingcod | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | noted |
By water
from the report- Conditions Water warming, clear visibility.
- Bass Pre-spawn wrapping up, post-spawn starting. Anglers report catches on swim jigs and crawfish imitations. Focus on shallow flats and pockets near shore.
None listed.
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Today
- seas
- 5–7 ft
- wind
- NW 5–10 kt
gusts 25
- Tonight
- seas
- 6–8 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
Full report2 min read ›
Whale Rock has the hot largemouth bite this week. White bass are at their peak at Lake Nacimiento.
Lake Fishing Reports
Santa Margarita Lake
Conditions: Water warming, clear visibility.
Bass: Pre-spawn wrapping up, post-spawn starting. Anglers report catches on swim jigs and crawfish imitations. Focus on shallow flats and pockets near shore.
Whale Rock Reservoir
- Largemouth Bass: Hot. Clear water
- Catch: 2-3 lb bass on chatter baits and finesse plastics
- Best Spot: Within 20 feet of shore, docks and vegetation edges
- Spotted Bass: 2-3 lb average, aggressive on moving baits
- Best Time: Morning bite (7:00 - 10:00 AM)
- Presentation: Ned Rig, Texas-rigged craw, spinnerbait
San Antonio Lake
- Level: 753.6 ft, 210,200 AF (64% of capacity) — CDEC ATN, May 14.
- Trout: Improving. Try rainbow PowerBait near inlets
- Catfish: Good. 2-5 lbs on chicken liver and shrimp
- Bass: Moving shallow. Try watermelon/red fluke tricks
Lake Nacimiento (Monterey/SLO Border)
- White Bass: Excellent. Strong catch ratios reported
- Spotted Bass: Active on points and creek channels
- Best Lures: Bladed jigs, small swimbaits, inline spinners
- Catfish & Carp: Good early morning/evening bite
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
- Lingcod: Season open through December 31 (CDFW)
- Rockfish: Excellent action on bottom fishing
- Vermilion Rockfish: Strong numbers
- Pacific Mackerel: Running offshore. Great for live bait
Dock counts:
- Morro Bay Landing (May 13): Avenger, 3/4 day, 21 anglers: 173 rockfish, 17 red rockfish, 15 copper rockfish, 14 lingcod.
- Patriot Sportfishing (May 13): Sunny Day, half day, 2 anglers: 4 king salmon.
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, May 13.
- Today: NW 5-10 kt, gusts 25, seas 5-7 ft
- Tonight: NW 15-25 kt, seas 6-8 ft
A small craft advisory is in effect until 9 AM and again from this afternoon through this evening, and a gale watch is in effect from Saturday morning through Sunday evening.
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 156 AM PDT Thu May 14 2026.
What's Biting:
- Ocean: Rockfish, lingcod, salmon, bocaccio
- Bay: Halibut, perch, sole