SLO County Fishing Report — July 13, 2026
Mondaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121103 places
There is a newer report: SLO County Fishing Report — November 15, 2026 →
Verdicts by place
Morro Bay offshore
Good5–7 ftNW 5–15 kt
Light winds, seas 3-4 ft; good conditions
Lake Nacimiento
Good761.5 ft50% 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
NOAA tide predictions for this day aren't available right now. See the Port San Luis / Morro Bay tide calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Nacimiento | Lopez | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | goodwhite · 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 |
| Salmon | not reported | not reported | noted |
By water
from the report- Water Level 761.5 ft, 192,928 AF (50% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 13.
- 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, especially at night
- Spinnerbaits
- crankbaits (shad colors)
- topwater early
Fish 6-8 AM or at night. The midday heat pushes fish deep.
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
- W 5–10 kt
- Tuesdaylighter
- seas
- 3–5 ft
- wind
- NW 5–10 kt
becoming 15-25 kt in the afternoon
- Tuesday night
- seas
- 5–7 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
Full report2 min read ›
The wind is light on Monday, July 13th, 2026, and today and Tuesday morning are the ocean days this week. NW 20-30 kt and 6-9 ft seas move in Wednesday and Thursday. On the Central Coast lakes, Nacimiento is at 761.53 ft and 50% of capacity (CDEC NCM).
Lake Levels Update
CDEC daily values for July 13 (stations NCM, LOP and ATN):
| Lake | Level | Change | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Nacimiento | 761.53 ft, 192,928 AF | -0.16 ft | 50% |
| Lopez Lake | 513.63 ft, 41,552 AF | -0.03 ft | 84% |
| Santa Margarita Lake | — | — | — |
| San Antonio Lake | 747.41 ft, 186,849 AF | -0.14 ft | 56% |
Santa Margarita has no published daily level.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Water Level: 761.5 ft, 192,928 AF (50% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 13.
- 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, especially at night
- Tip: Fish 6-8 AM or at night. The midday heat pushes fish deep.
Santa Margarita Lake
No new report from Santa Margarita Lake since Jul 9.
Lopez Lake
- Status: Normal summer operations
- Bass: Good. Deep crankbaits and drop-shots working
- Panfish: Bluegill and crappie near marina structure
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
Conditions improving from the weekend
Current Conditions (NOAA/NDBC)
- Wind: NW 5-15 kt (lighter today)
- Wave Height: 5-7 ft at buoy 46011 (Santa Maria)
- Water Temp: 57-64°F (NDBC 46215, Diablo Canyon, morning)
- Visibility: Good
- Swell Period: 7-8 seconds (moderate)
This Week's Outlook
Today: W 5-10 kt in the afternoon after light morning winds, seas 3-4 ft
Tonight: W 5-10 kt, seas 3-4 ft
Tuesday: NW 5-10 kt, becoming 15-25 kt in the afternoon, seas 3-5 ft
Tuesday night: NW 15-25 kt, seas 5-7 ft
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 304 AM PDT Mon Jul 13 2026.
Wednesday and Thursday afternoons have NW 20-30 kt with seas up to 9 ft, and Friday drops back to NW 5-10 kt.
Fishing Report
Today and Tuesday are good for rockfish and lingcod:
- 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 12): Endeavor, full day, 19 anglers: 90 rockfish, 44 bocaccio, 38 lingcod (up to 15 pounds), 38 red rockfish.
Patriot Sportfishing (Jul 12): Flying Fish, 1/2 day, 20 anglers: 177 rockcod, 11 copper rockfish, 10 red rockcod, 1 bolina.
Black Pearl Sportfishing (Jul 12): Black Pearl, 6 hour, 30 anglers: 149 rockfish (up to 6 pounds).
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Jul 12.
Pro Tip: Go today or Tuesday morning, before the wind picks up Tuesday afternoon.