SLO County Fishing Report — July 29, 2026
Wednesdaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121105 places
There is a newer report: SLO County Fishing Report — November 15, 2026 →
Verdicts by place
Morro Bay offshore
Fair7–9 ftNW 20–25 kt
Small craft advisory through this evening; seas 6-9 ft
Lake Nacimiento
Good758.8 ft48% capacity
White Bass: excellent, Wind-blown points producing big time; Spotted Bass: Active on rocky points, crushing jerkbaits and crankbaits
Lopez Lake
Good513.0 ft83% capacity
Bass: Good
Santa Margarita Lake
GoodBass: Good; Trout: Slow
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 | San Antonio | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | excellentwhite · spotted | good | good | noted | not reported |
| Catfish | not reported | excellent | not reported | good | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | good | noted | notedpanfish | not reported | not reported |
| Trout | not reported | slow | not reported | slow | not reported |
| Rockfish | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | good |
| Lingcod | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | noted |
By water
from the report- Level 758.77 ft, 182,241 AF (48% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 29. Down 0.24 ft from yesterday.
- White Bass excellent On the wind-blown points
- Spotted Bass Active on rocky points, hitting jerkbaits and crankbaits hard
- Crappie good On 2-3 inch swimbaits near rocky pockets
- White/silver bladed jigs
- pin-tail trailers
- shad-colored crankbaits
Fish the wind-blown points and muddy water, where the white bass are stacking up.
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Today
- seas
- 6–8 ft
- wind
- NW 10–15 kt
becoming 15-25 kt in the afternoon
- Tonight
- seas
- 6–9 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
gusts 25
- Thursday
- seas
- 5–7 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
- Thursday night
- seas
- 6–9 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
becoming 10-20 kt after midnight
Full report2 min read ›
White bass are stacked on the wind-blown points at Nacimiento, and the ocean has a small craft advisory through this evening with 6-9 ft seas.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Level: 758.77 ft, 182,241 AF (48% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 29. Down 0.24 ft from yesterday.
- White Bass: EXCELLENT on the wind-blown points
- Spotted Bass: Active on rocky points, hitting jerkbaits and crankbaits hard
- Best Lures: White/silver bladed jigs, pin-tail trailers, shad-colored crankbaits
- Crappie: Good on 2-3 inch swimbaits near rocky pockets
- Tip: Fish the wind-blown points and muddy water, where the white bass are stacking up.
Santa Margarita Lake
- Water: Stained visibility
- Bass: Good. Early morning topwater bite, slow retrieve through the afternoon
- Trout: Slow. Next plant pending
- Crappie: Active on points with bright-colored jigs
- Catfish: Hot. Cats on chicken liver and garlic shrimp
- Tip: Work jigs along rocky points, focus on deeper structure
Lopez Lake
- Level: 512.95 ft, 40,991 AF (83% of capacity), CDEC LOP, Jul 29.
- Water: Stained, warming up
- Bass: Good.
- 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: 745.04 ft, 178,384 AF (54% of capacity), CDEC ATN, Jul 29.
- Water: Slightly stained
- Trout: Slow. A few on chartreuse/rainbow PowerBait
- Catfish: Good on garlic shrimp and chicken liver
- Bass: Warming up. Try shallow crankbaits in 8-15 ft
- Tip: Look for catfish in the backs of coves
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
Black Pearl Sportfishing (Jul 28): Black Pearl, overnight, 22 anglers: 176 rockfish (up to 6 pounds), 35 lingcod (up to 26 pounds), 27 vermilion rockfish (up to 9 pounds), 1 whitefish (up to 6 pounds).
Patriot Sportfishing (Jul 28): Flying Fish, 1/2 day, 20 anglers: 96 rockcod, 5 copper rockfish, 5 red rockcod, 1 bolina.
Morro Bay Landing (Jul 28): Endeavor, 3/4 day, 13 anglers: 115 rockfish, 13 bocaccio, 9 lingcod, 2 red rockfish.
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Jul 28.
Small craft advisory in effect through this evening.
Current Conditions (Buoy 46011 - Santa Maria)
- Water Temp: 59.7°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria)
- 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
Today: NW 10-15 kt, becoming 15-25 kt in the afternoon, seas 6-8 ft
Tonight: NW 10-20 kt, gusts 25, seas 6-9 ft
Thursday: NW 10-20 kt, seas 5-7 ft
Thursday night: NW 15-25 kt, becoming 10-20 kt after midnight, seas 6-9 ft
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 150 AM PDT Wed Jul 29 2026.
What's Fishing
- Lingcod: Some action
- Rockfish: Good from deeper structure
- Shore/Pier: Surfperch are active at low tide, best in the hour before or after the tide changes
- Kayak: Not recommended today; it's too rough
Week Outlook
- Thursday/Friday: Still windy, strongest at night, so ocean fishing will be tough
- Saturday: The NW wind builds to 15-25 kt in the afternoon
- Sunday: Still choppy