SLO County Fishing Report — July 18, 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
Morro Bay offshore
Fair5–6 ftwater 59.2°F
NW 5-15 kt, 4-5 ft seas; easing into the weekend
Lake Nacimiento
Good760.7 ft50% capacity
White Bass: Good; Spotted Bass: Good on main lake points, chasing 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 | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | goodwhite · spotted | goodlargemouth | not reported |
| Catfish | excellent | not reported | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | not reported | good | 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 760.7 ft, 189,819 AF (50% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 18.
- White Bass good Early AM shallow bite, then deep
- Spotted Bass good On main lake points, chasing shad
- Catfish excellent Big cats in 20-30 ft, mostly at night
- Spinnerbaits
- crankbaits (shad colors)
- topwater early AM
Go 6-9 AM or after dark; by midday the heat has the fish deep.
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Todaylighter
- seas
- 4–5 ft
- wind
- NW 5–10 kt
becoming 10-15 kt in the afternoon
- Tonightlighter
- seas
- 4–5 ft
- wind
- NW 10–15 kt
becoming 5-10 kt
- Sundaylighter
- seas
- 4–5 ft
- wind
- NW 5–10 kt
becoming 10-15 kt in the afternoon
- Sunday nightlighter
- seas
- 4–5 ft
- wind
- NW 10–15 kt
becoming 5-10 kt after midnight
Full report3 min read ›
The wind is easing, and the weekend looks like the best ocean window in a while. Nacimiento is at 760.74 ft and still dropping slowly (CDEC NCM).
Lake Levels Update
| Lake | Level | Change | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Nacimiento | 760.74 ft, 189,819 AF | -0.47 ft since Jul 15 | 50% |
| Lopez Lake | 513.41 ft, 41,370 AF | -0.13 ft since Jul 15 | 84% |
| Santa Margarita Lake | — | — | — |
CDEC stations NCM and LOP, Jul 18. Santa Margarita has no published daily level. Focus on early morning or deep water structure during midday heat.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Water Level: 760.7 ft, 189,819 AF (50% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 18.
- White Bass: Good. Early AM shallow bite, then deep
- Spotted Bass: Good on main lake points, chasing shad
- Best Lures: Spinnerbaits, crankbaits (shad colors), topwater early AM
- Catfish: Excellent. Big cats in 20-30 ft, mostly at night
- Tip: Go 6-9 AM or after dark; by midday the heat has the fish deep.
Santa Margarita Lake
- Largemouth Bass: Good. Deep structure, dusk schools
- Best Baits: Deep-diving crankbaits, drop-shots, Texas rigs
- Crappie: Good on deep brush in 20-30 ft
- Tip: Stay deep in the heat of the day. Fish come up at dawn and dusk.
Lopez Lake
No new report from Lopez Lake since Jul 15.
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
Conditions improving, with a good weekend ahead.
Current Conditions (NOAA/NDBC Buoy 46011)
- Wind: NNW 11.7 kts (gusts to 15.5 kts)
- Wave Height: 5-6 ft
- Water Temp: 59.2°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria)
- Air Temp: 57.6°F
- Pressure: 30.03 in (stable)
- Visibility: Good
- Swell Period: 8 seconds (NW swell dominant)
- Swell Direction: NW
Marine forecast
Today: NW 5-10 kt, becoming 10-15 kt in the afternoon, seas 4-5 ft
Tonight: NW 10-15 kt, becoming 5-10 kt, seas 4-5 ft
Sunday: NW 5-10 kt, becoming 10-15 kt in the afternoon, seas 4-5 ft
Sunday night: NW 10-15 kt, becoming 5-10 kt after midnight, seas 4-5 ft
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 216 AM PDT Sat Jul 18 2026.
Monday and Tuesday stay at NW 5-15 kt with 4-5 ft seas.
Fishing Report
- Lingcod: Good. Fish deep structure
- Rockfish: Excellent. All species biting
- Vermilion Rockfish: Great in 100-150 ft
- Copper Rockfish: Good numbers
- 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 17): Endeavor, 1/2 day, 26 anglers: 235 rockfish, 3 red rockfish, 2 copper rockfish, 1 lingcod (up to 7 pounds).
Patriot Sportfishing (Jul 17): Flying Fish, 3/4 day, 15 anglers: 104 rockcod, 29 red rockcod, 17 bocaccio, 1 lingcod (up to 7 pounds).
Black Pearl Sportfishing (Jul 17): Black Pearl, 12 hour, 32 anglers: 211 rockfish (up to 9 pounds), 46 vermilion rockfish (up to 8 pounds), 10 lingcod (up to 22 pounds).
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Jul 17.
Pro Tip: The weekend forecast is NW winds 5-15 kt and seas 4-5 ft, which is fine for kayaks as well as boats.
Weekend
- Saturday-Sunday: Light morning winds, a little breezier in the afternoons. Monday and Tuesday look the same.
Data: NWS forecast for zone PZZ645, NDBC Buoy 46011, CDEC (NCM, LOP), SportfishingReport.com.