SLO County Fishing Report — July 19, 2026
Sundaygauge 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
Good59.9°FNNW 12 kt
NNW 10-15 kt, seas 4-5 ft at a 16 s period
Lake Nacimiento
Good760.6 ft49% 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 | San Antonio | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | goodwhite · spotted | goodlargemouth | good | not reported |
| Catfish | excellent | not reported | excellent | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | not reported | good | 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 760.6 ft, 189,195 AF (49% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 19.
- 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, best after dark
- Spinnerbaits
- crankbaits (shad colors)
- topwater early AM
Fish 6-9 AM or after dark. Midday heat pushes 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 after midnight
- Mondaylighter
- seas
- 4–5 ft
- wind
- NW 5–10 kt
- Monday nightlighter
- seas
- 4–5 ft
- wind
- NW 10–15 kt
becoming 5-10 kt after midnight
Full report2 min read ›
Lake Nacimiento is at 49% of capacity and San Antonio at 55% (CDEC NCM and ATN), and Nacimiento is fishing well. The ocean is fishable too, with a long 16-second swell at the buoy.
Lake Levels Update
| Lake | Level | Change | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Nacimiento | 760.58 ft, 189,195 AF | -0.16 ft | 49% |
| Lopez Lake | 513.38 ft, 41,345 AF | -0.03 ft | 84% |
| Santa Margarita Lake | — | — | — |
| San Antonio Lake | 746.49 ft, 183,540 AF | -0.17 ft | 55% |
CDEC stations NCM, LOP and ATN, Jul 19. Santa Margarita has no published daily level.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Water Level: 760.6 ft, 189,195 AF (49% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 19.
- 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, best after dark
- Tip: Fish 6-9 AM or after dark. Midday heat pushes 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: Fish deep in the heat; look for surface activity at dawn and dusk.
Lopez Lake
No new report from Lopez Lake since Jul 15.
San Antonio Lake
- Level: 746.5 ft, 183,540 AF (55% of capacity), CDEC ATN, Jul 19.
- Bass: Good. Deep structure, submerged timber
- Catfish: Excellent night fishing
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
Good conditions today.
Current Conditions (NOAA/NDBC Buoy 46011)
- Wind: NNW 12 kts (gusts to 20 kts)
- Wave Height: 4.6 ft (1.4m)
- Wave Period: 16 seconds
- Water Temp: 59.9°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria)
- Air Temp: 57°F (14°C)
- Pressure: 30.04 in (1016 hPa) - stable
- Visibility: Good
- Swell Direction: WNW
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 after midnight, seas 4-5 ft
Monday: NW 5-10 kt, seas 4-5 ft
Monday 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 206 AM PDT Sun Jul 19 2026.
Fishing Report
- Lingcod: Good. Fish deep structure
- Rockfish: Excellent. Every species is 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 18): Endeavor, full day, 30 anglers: 175 rockfish, 60 red rockfish, 55 bocaccio, 21 lingcod (up to 16 pounds).
Patriot Sportfishing (Jul 18): Patriot, 3/4 day, 23 anglers: 144 rockcod, 46 red rockcod, 8 bocaccio, 1 lingcod.
Black Pearl Sportfishing (Jul 18): Black Pearl, 3/4 day, 24 anglers: 126 rockfish (up to 6 pounds), 48 vermilion rockfish (up to 8 pounds), 14 lingcod (up to 24 pounds).
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Jul 18.
Pro Tip: The long 16-second period means a cleaner swell, even with the wind.
Next Few Days
- Tuesday and Wednesday start light, with the NW wind building in the afternoons. Thursday has NW 15-25 kt.
Data: NWS forecast for zone PZZ645, NDBC Buoy 46011, CDEC (NCM, LOP, ATN), SportfishingReport.com.