Journal • SLO County Fishing Report — July 29, 2026

journal / field-reports / 2026-07-29

SLO County Fishing Report — July 29, 2026

Wednesdaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121105 water bodies

Verdicts by place

  • Morro Bay offshore

    Fair

    7–9 ftNW 20–25 kt

    Small craft advisory in effect through Friday

  • Lake Nacimiento

    Good

    ~70°F

    White Bass: excellent, Wind-blown points producing big time; Spotted Bass: Active on rocky points, crushing jerkbaits and crankbaits

  • Lopez Lake

    Good

    Bass: Good

  • Santa Margarita Lake

    Good

    low 50s°Fnear full

    Bass: Good; Trout: Slow

Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 9412110 · ft MLLW · Pacific time

Tides for the day

-2 ft0 ft2 ft4 ft6 ft12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM5:11 AM · -0.5 ft11:49 AM · 3.8 ft4:14 PM · 2.5 ft10:21 PM · 5.8 ft
NOAA high and low tides
5:11 AM low-0.5 ft
11:49 AM high3.8 ft
4:14 PM low2.5 ft
10:21 PM high5.8 ft
range
6.3 ft
minus tide
-0.5 ft
sunrise
6:10 AM
sunset
8:09 PM

Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →

Bite grid

excellentgoodfairslownoted

SpeciesNacimientoSanta MargaritaLopezSan AntonioMorro Bay
Bassexcellentwhite · spottedgoodgoodnotednot reported
Catfishnot reportedexcellentnot reportedgoodnot reported
Crappie / panfishgoodnotednotedpanfishnot reportednot reported
Troutnot reportedslownot reportedslownot reported
Rockfishnot reportednot reportednot reportednot reportedgood
Lingcodnot reportednot reportednot reportednot reportednoted

By water

from the report
Water
  • Level 758.97 ft (↑0.04 ft from yesterday), above full pool
  • Temp ~70°F, Clear water
What's biting
  • White Bass excellent Wind-blown points producing big time
  • Spotted Bass Active on rocky points, crushing jerkbaits and crankbaits
  • Crappie good On 2-3 inch swimbaits near rocky pockets
Lures & bait
  • White/silver bladed jigs
  • pin-tail trailers
  • shad-colored crankbaits

Focus on wind-blown points and muddy areas — white bass are stacking up!

Marine forecast

seaswindas written in the report

  1. Today
    seas
    8–9 ft
    wind
    NW 20–25 kt
  2. Tonight
    seas
    8–9 ft
    wind
    NW 20–25 kt
  3. Thursday
    seas
    8–9 ft
    wind
    NW 20–25 kt
  4. Friday
    seas
    7–9 ft
    wind
    NW 20–25 kt
  5. Saturday
    seas
    8–10 ft

    Winds easing slightly to 20-25 knots

Full report2 min read ›

Good morning, Central Coast anglers! Here's your latest fishing report for July 29th, 2026.

🏞️ Lake Fishing Reports

Lake Nacimiento 🌟

  • Level: 758.97 ft (↑0.04 ft from yesterday), above full pool
  • Temp: ~70°F, Clear water
  • White Bass: ✅ EXCELLENT! Wind-blown points producing big time
  • Spotted Bass: Active on rocky points, crushing jerkbaits and crankbaits
  • Best Lures: White/silver bladed jigs, pin-tail trailers, shad-colored crankbaits
  • Crappie: Good on 2-3 inch swimbaits near rocky pockets
  • Tip: Focus on wind-blown points and muddy areas — white bass are stacking up!

Santa Margarita Lake

  • Water: Near full capacity, stained visibility, low 50s°F
  • Bass: ✅ GOOD — early morning topwater bite, slow retrieve through午后
  • Trout: Slow — next plant pending
  • Crappie: Active on points with bright-colored jigs
  • Catfish: ✅ HOT! 10-20 lb cats on chicken liver and garlic shrimp
  • Tip: Work jigs along rocky points, focus on deeper structure

Lopez Lake

  • Level: ~83% full (513 ft), slight drop from recent
  • Water: Stained, warming up
  • Bass: ✅ GOOD — shad-colored crankbaits and jerkbaits working well
  • Panfish: Crappie and bluegill near marina on small Rapalas
  • Tip: Drop-shotting in 25+ ft for bigger bass, morning bite best

San Antonio Lake

  • Level: 104% of normal (51,641 acre-ft) — excellent for summer!
  • Water: Slightly stained, ~56°F
  • Trout: Slow — a few on chartreuse/rainbow PowerBait
  • Catfish: ✅ GOOD — 3-5 lbs on garlic shrimp and chicken liver
  • Bass: Warming up — try shallow crankbaits in 8-15 ft
  • Tip: Focus on backs of coves for catfish action

🌊 Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay

⚠️ SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY

Current Conditions (Buoy 46011 - Pt. Conception)

  • Water Temp: 15.4°C (59.7°F)
  • Wave Height: 7-9 ft (average 8 ft)
  • Wave Period: 8-9 seconds
  • Wind: NW 20-25 knots, gusts to 35 knots
  • Visibility: Good

Marine Forecast (Central Coast)

  • Today: NW 20-25 kt, seas 8-9 ft
  • Tonight: NW 20-25 kt, seas 8-9 ft
  • Thursday: NW 20-25 kt, seas 8-9 ft
  • Friday: NW 20-25 kt, seas 7-9 ft

What's Fishing

  • Lingcod: Season winding down but still some action
  • Rockfish: Good from deeper structure
  • Shore/Pier: Surfperch active during low tide — best hour before/after tide changes
  • Kayak: ⚠️ Not recommended today — conditions too rough

🎣 Best Times (Solunar)

  • Major Feed: 5:30 AM - 7:30 AM, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Minor Feed: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
  • Today's Tides (Morro Bay):
    • Low: 3:48 AM (0.0 ft)
    • High: ~10:30 AM (~3.7 ft)
    • Low: 4:00 PM (-0.5 ft)
    • High: ~10:30 PM (~4.5 ft)

📅 Week Outlook

  • Thursday/Friday: Small craft advisory continues — ocean fishing tough
  • Saturday: Winds easing slightly to 20-25 knots, seas 8-10 ft
  • Sunday: Conditions improve slightly but still choppy
  • Lake fishing: Excellent across all lakes, especially Nacimiento white bass

🎣 Get Your Gear Ready

Check our Fishing Guide for species info and regulations.

Tight lines, Central Coast! 🎣

← Back to JournalView Tide Charts

~/coast $ feedback --new