SLO County Fishing Report — July 14, 2026
Tuesdaygauge 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
Fair3–4 ftNW 5–10 kt
No advisory; NW 5-10 kt rising to 10-20 kt, seas 3-4 ft
Lake Nacimiento
Good761.4 ft50% capacity
White Bass: Good; Spotted Bass: Good on main lake points, actively 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 | 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 |
| Trout | not reported | notedrainbow | not reported | 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 761.4 ft, 192,334 AF (50% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 14.
- White Bass good Early morning shallow bite (6-9 AM), then deep
- Spotted Bass good On main lake points, actively schooling on shad
- Catfish excellent Big cats stacked in 20-30 ft
- Spinnerbaits (white/chrome)
- crankbaits (shad patterns)
- topwater early AM
Fish the low-light hours, early morning (6-9 AM) or evening (6-8 PM).
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Todaylighter
- seas
- 3–4 ft
- wind
- NW 5–10 kt
becoming 10-20 kt in the afternoon
- Tonight
- seas
- 4–6 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
- Wednesday
- seas
- 4–7 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
becoming 20-30 kt in the afternoon
- Wednesday night
- seas
- 7–9 ft
- wind
- NW 20–30 kt
Full report2 min read ›
The lakes are holding steady, and the ocean is fishable early today before the wind builds later in the week.
Lake Levels Update (CDEC, Jul 14)
| Lake | Level | Trend | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Nacimiento | 761.38 ft, 192,334 AF | -0.15 ft | 50% |
| Lopez Lake | 513.60 ft, 41,527 AF | -0.03 ft | 84% |
| Santa Margarita Lake | — | — | — |
CDEC stations NCM and LOP. Santa Margarita has no published daily level.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Water Level: 761.4 ft, 192,334 AF (50% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 14.
- White Bass: Good. Early morning shallow bite (6-9 AM), then deep
- Spotted Bass: Good on main lake points, actively schooling on shad
- Best Lures: Spinnerbaits (white/chrome), crankbaits (shad patterns), topwater early AM
- Catfish: Excellent. Big cats stacked in 20-30 ft
- Tip: Fish the low-light hours, early morning (6-9 AM) or evening (6-8 PM).
Santa Margarita Lake
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Fish deep structure, schooling at dusk
- Rainbow Trout: Stocking ongoing; check local regs
- Best Baits: Deep-diving crankbaits, drop-shots, Texas rigs, nightcrawlers
- Crappie: Good on deep brush in 20-30 ft
- Tip: Stay deep on hot days, then work the docks and creek channels at dawn and dusk.
Lopez Lake
- Status: Normal summer operations
- Bass: Good. Deep crankbaits and drop-shots working well
- Panfish: Bluegill and crappie near marina structure and creek channels
- Kokanee: Good in deep water (30-50 ft); troll dodgers and wedding bands
- Tip: Fish the deep pockets and creek channels early and late
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
No advisory for zone PZZ645 this morning. The wind builds from this afternoon.
Current Conditions (NOAA/NDBC Buoy 46011)
- Wind: NW 5-10 kt (gusts to 15 kt)
- Wave Height: 3-4 ft at buoy (~1.1-1.3m)
- Water Temp: 61°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria)
- Visibility: Good
- Swell Period: 8-13 seconds
- Swell Direction: Mixed SW/NW
Marine Forecast
Today: NW 5-10 kt, becoming 10-20 kt in the afternoon, seas 3-4 ft
Tonight: NW 10-20 kt, seas 4-6 ft
Wednesday: NW 15-25 kt, becoming 20-30 kt in the afternoon, seas 4-7 ft
Wednesday night: NW 20-30 kt, seas 7-9 ft
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 226 AM PDT Tue Jul 14 2026.
Thursday stays at NW 20-30 kt with seas of 6-9 ft, and Friday eases to NW 10-15 kt.
Fishing Report
- Lingcod: Good. Best in 80-150 ft
- Rockfish: EXCELLENT across all species
- Vermilion Rockfish: Strong in 100-180 ft
- Copper Rockfish: Good numbers in rocky structure
- Blue Rockfish: Abundant
- Salmon: Open. The Monterey area (south of Pigeon Point) is open through Aug. 31; check CDFW for in-season changes
Morro Bay Landing (Jul 13): Endeavor, 1/2 day, 21 anglers: 208 rockfish, 1 copper rockfish, 1 red rockfish.
Black Pearl Sportfishing (Jul 13): Black Pearl, 8 hour, 33 anglers: 193 rockfish (up to 5 pounds), 1 lingcod (up to 12 pounds).
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Jul 13.
Pro Tip: Go out early (before 9 AM), when the wind is lightest. It gets worse by mid-afternoon.
Groundfish are open at all depths in the Central area.
Data sources: CDEC (lake levels), NDBC 46011, NWS zone PZZ645, SportfishingReport.com.