SLO County Fishing Report — July 9, 2026
Thursdaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121104 places
There is a newer report: SLO County Fishing Report — November 15, 2026 →
Verdicts by place
Morro Bay offshore
Rough6–9 ftNW 15–25 kt
Small craft advisory; NW 15-30 kt, seas 6-9 ft
Lake Nacimiento
Good762.2 ft51% capacity
White Bass: Good; Spotted Bass: Good on main lake points, schooling on shad
Lopez Lake
GoodBass: Good
Santa Margarita Lake
GoodLargemouth Bass: Good; Crappie: Good on deep brush in 20-30 ft
Tides for the day
| 12:51 AM low | 0.7 ft |
|---|---|
| 6:59 AM high | 2.9 ft |
| 11:06 AM low | 2.2 ft |
| 6:04 PM high | 5.8 ft |
- range
- 5.1 ft
- sunrise
- 5:56 AM
- sunset
- 8:20 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Nacimiento | Santa Margarita | Lopez | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | goodwhite · spotted | goodlargemouth | good | not reported |
| Catfish | excellent | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | not reported | good | notedpanfish | not reported |
| Rockfish | not reported | not reported | not reported | excellentvermilion · copper · blue |
| Lingcod | not reported | not reported | not reported | good |
| Salmon | not reported | not reported | not reported | noted |
By water
from the report- Water Level 762.2 ft, 195,503 AF (51% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 9.
- White Bass good Shallow early in the morning, then deep
- Spotted Bass good On main lake points, schooling on shad
- Catfish excellent Big cats stacked in 20-30 ft
- Spinnerbaits
- crankbaits (shad colors)
- topwater early
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Today
- seas
- 6–9 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
becoming 20-30 kt in the afternoon
- Tonight
- seas
- 7–10 ft
- wind
- NW 20–30 kt
becoming 15-25 kt after midnight
- Friday
- seas
- 6–8 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
- Friday night
- seas
- 6–8 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
Full report2 min read ›
As of July 9th, 2026, the NW wind is blowing 15-25 kt and a small craft advisory is up through late tonight, so today and Friday are lake days on the Central Coast. Saturday and Sunday look like the best ocean days this week, with light winds and 3-6 ft seas in the forecast.
Lake Levels Update (CDEC, Jul 9)
| Lake | Level | Change | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Nacimiento | 762.18 ft, 195,503 AF | -0.17 ft | 51% |
| Lopez Lake | 513.77 ft, 41,669 AF | -0.02 ft | 84% |
| Santa Margarita Lake | — | — | — |
CDEC stations NCM and LOP. Santa Margarita has no published daily level.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Water Level: 762.2 ft, 195,503 AF (51% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 9.
- White Bass: Good. Shallow early in the morning, then deep
- Spotted Bass: Good on main lake points, schooling on shad
- Best Lures: Spinnerbaits, crankbaits (shad colors), topwater early
- Catfish: Excellent. Big cats stacked in 20-30 ft
Santa Margarita Lake
- Largemouth Bass: Good. On deep structure, schooling at dusk
- Best Baits: Deep-diving crankbaits, drop-shots, Texas rigs
- Crappie: Good on deep brush in 20-30 ft
Lopez Lake
- Status: Normal operations
- Bass: Good. Deep crankbaits and drop-shots working
- Panfish: Bluegill and crappie near marina structure
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
Small craft advisory in effect through late tonight
Current Conditions (NOAA/NDBC)
- Wind: NW 15-25 kt (strong)
- Wave Height: 6-9 ft nearshore, 8-10 ft offshore
- Water Temp: 58.6°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria)
- Visibility: Good
- Swell Period: 8-10 seconds
This Week's Outlook
Today: NW 15-25 kt, becoming 20-30 kt in the afternoon, seas 6-9 ft
Tonight: NW 20-30 kt, becoming 15-25 kt after midnight, seas 7-10 ft
Friday: NW 10-20 kt, seas 6-8 ft
Friday night: NW 15-25 kt, seas 6-8 ft
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 200 AM PDT Thu Jul 9 2026.
Saturday and Sunday are forecast light, with seas of 4-6 ft Saturday and 3-5 ft Sunday.
Fishing Report
Boats that do go out are still catching fish:
- Lingcod: Good.
- Rockfish: EXCELLENT across all species
- Vermilion Rockfish: Strong showing in 100-150 ft
- Copper Rockfish: Good numbers
- Blue Rockfish: Abundant
- Salmon: Season open since April 11
Morro Bay Landing (Jul 8): Endeavor, 1/2 day, 25 anglers: 210 rockfish, 40 bolina, 8 copper rockfish, 4 ocean whitefish.
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Jul 8.
Pro Tip: Wait for the winds to ease on Saturday/Sunday before taking the boat out.