SLO County Fishing Report — July 4, 2026
Saturdaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121103 places
There is a newer report: SLO County Fishing Report — November 15, 2026 →
Verdicts by place
Lake Nacimiento
Good763.0 ft52% capacity
White bass good early; catfish excellent in 20-30 ft
Santa Margarita Lake
GoodLargemouth good on deep structure; catfish excellent
Lopez Lake
Good514.0 ft85% capacity
Bass good on deep crankbaits and drop-shots
Morro Bay offshore
Good4–5 ftwater 60°F
Seas 3-4 ft, light wind; rockfish excellent
Tides for the day
| 12:25 AM high | 4.9 ft |
|---|---|
| 7:49 AM low | -0.1 ft |
| 2:47 PM high | 4.0 ft |
| 7:39 PM low | 2.7 ft |
- range
- 5.1 ft
- minus tide
- -0.1 ft
- sunrise
- 5:54 AM
- sunset
- 8:21 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Nacimiento | Lopez | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | excellentwhite · spotted | good | not reported |
| Catfish | excellent | not reported | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | not reported | notedpanfish | not reported |
| Rockfish | not reported | not reported | excellentvermilion · copper · blue |
| Lingcod | not reported | not reported | good |
By water
from the report- Level 763.0 ft, 198,773 AF (52% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 4.
- White Bass good
- Spotted Bass excellent On main lake points, schooling on shad
- Catfish excellent Big cats stacked in 20-30 ft, night fishing hot
- Spinnerbaits
- crankbaits (shad colors)
- topwater early AM
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Todaylighter
- seas
- 3–4 ft
- wind
- W 5–10 kt
W 5-10 kt in the afternoon after light morning winds
- Tonightlighter
- seas
- 3–4 ft
- wind
- NW 5–10 kt
- Sundaylighter
- seas
- 3–4 ft
- wind
- NW 5–10 kt
becoming 10-15 kt in the afternoon
- Sunday nightlighter
- seas
- 4–5 ft
- wind
- NW 10–15 kt
Full report2 min read ›
The wind is light on the Central Coast this morning, and the forecast has 3-4 ft seas off Morro Bay, which makes it a good day for a boat trip. On the lakes, fish early, before the heat of the day.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Level: 763.0 ft, 198,773 AF (52% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 4.
- White Bass: Good.
- Spotted Bass: Excellent on main lake points, schooling on shad
- Best Lures: Spinnerbaits, crankbaits (shad colors), topwater early AM
- Catfish: Excellent. Big cats stacked in 20-30 ft, night fishing hot
Santa Margarita Lake
No new report from Santa Margarita Lake since Jul 3.
Lopez Lake
- Level: 514.0 ft, 41,819 AF (85% of capacity), CDEC LOP, Jul 4.
- Bass: Good. Deep crankbaits and drop-shots working
- Panfish: Bluegill and crappie near marina structure
San Antonio Lake
No new report from San Antonio Lake since Jul 1.
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
Current Conditions (Santa Maria Buoy 46011 - Latest):
- Water Temp: 60°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria)
- Air Temp: 57-58°F (14°C)
- Wind: N/NW 5-10 knots
- Wave Height: 4-5 ft (1.3-1.6m)
- Wave Period: 8 seconds
- Visibility: Good
Marine forecast:
Today: W 5-10 kt in the afternoon after light morning winds, seas 3-4 ft
Tonight: NW 5-10 kt, seas 3-4 ft
Sunday: NW 5-10 kt, becoming 10-15 kt in the afternoon, seas 3-4 ft
Sunday night: NW 10-15 kt, seas 4-5 ft
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 257 AM PDT Sat Jul 4 2026.
Ocean Report:
- Lingcod: Good.
- Rockfish: Excellent action across all species
- Vermilion Rockfish: Strong showing in 100-150 ft
- Copper Rockfish: Good numbers
- Blue Rockfish: Abundant
Morro Bay Landing (Jul 3): Endeavor, 1/2 day, 33 anglers: 275 rockfish, 4 lingcod.
Patriot Sportfishing (Jul 3): Patriot, 3/4 day, 30 anglers: 136 bolina, 86 rockcod, 34 red rockcod, 19 lingcod.
Black Pearl Sportfishing (Jul 3): Black Pearl, 12 hour, 29 anglers: 201 rockfish (up to 11 pounds), 54 vermilion rockfish (up to 7 pounds), 11 lingcod (up to 18 pounds), 5 petrale sole (up to 9 pounds).
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Jul 3.
Independence Day Outlook
Saturday morning has the lightest wind. Sunday looks about the same.