SLO County Fishing Report — July 31, 2026
Fridaygauge 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
Rough5–7 ftwater 59°F
Small craft advisory this afternoon and tonight; seas 5-8 ft, up to 9 ft Saturday night
Lake Nacimiento
Good758.3 ft47% capacity
Bass fishing remains excellent
Lopez Lake
Good512.9 ft83% capacity
Lopez Lake is fishing exceptionally well
Santa Margarita Lake
FairBass fair but holding deep during midday heat
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 | Lopez | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | not reported | excellentlargemouth | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | good | good | not reported |
| Rockfish | not reported | not reported | good |
| Lingcod | not reported | not reported | excellent |
| Halibut | not reported | not reported | good |
By water
from the report- Water Level 758.30 ft, 180,471 AF (47% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 31.
- Crappie good Near submerged structure
None listed.
- Status Great
Crawdad patterns work at midday.
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Today
- seas
- 5–7 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
gusts 25
- Tonight
- seas
- 6–8 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
becoming 10-20 kt after midnight
- Saturday
- seas
- 6–8 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
becoming 15-25 kt in the afternoon
- Saturday night
- seas
- 6–9 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
becoming 10-20 kt after midnight
Full report2 min read ›
The NW wind stays up through the weekend, with a small craft advisory from this afternoon through late tonight and 6-9 ft seas into Sunday, so this is a lake weekend.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
Status: Great Water Level: 758.30 ft, 180,471 AF (47% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Jul 31.
Bass fishing is still excellent. Summer heat keeps the fish active all day, with the best topwater bite at first light and late evening.
What's Biting:
- Largemouth bass - Great on topwater lures at dawn/dusk
- White bass - Active near shad schools
- Crappie: Good. Near submerged structure
Tips: Crawdad patterns work at midday.
Lopez Lake
Status: Excellent Water Level: 512.86 ft, 40,917 AF (83% of capacity), CDEC LOP, Jul 31.
Lopez Lake is fishing very well.
What's Biting:
- Largemouth bass: Excellent. On shad rap, zoom worms
- Crappie: Good. Near docks and brush piles
Tips: The bass are feeding on shad.
Santa Margarita Lake
Status: Fair
Ocean Fishing - Morro Bay
Morro Bay Landing (Jul 30): Avenger, 1/2 day, 25 anglers: 137 rockfish, 9 red rockfish, 4 copper rockfish, 1 cabezon.
Patriot Sportfishing (Jul 30): Flying Fish, 1/2 day, 7 anglers: 68 rockcod (up to 4 pounds), 2 bocaccio.
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Jul 30.
Status: Caution - Rough Seas Expected Conditions: Small craft advisory from this afternoon through late tonight Water Temp: 59°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria) Wave Height: 5-7 ft today, 6-9 ft this weekend
The advisory runs from this afternoon through late tonight, and the wind stays at NW 10-25 kt through Sunday. Small boats should stay in this weekend.
Current Ocean Data (Buoy 46011 - Santa Maria):
- Wind: NNW (330°) at 7.0 m/s (~16 mph)
- Wave Height: ~6.6 ft (2.0m)
- Water Temp: 59°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria)
- Air Temp: 58°F (14.6°C)
- Pressure: 1014.9 hPa (steady)
What's Biting:
- Rockfish - Good before weather hits
- Lingcod - Strong action on calmer days
- Halibut - Good prospects along the beaches when conditions allow
Marine forecast:
Today: NW 10-20 kt, gusts 25, seas 5-7 ft
Tonight: NW 15-25 kt, becoming 10-20 kt after midnight, seas 6-8 ft
Saturday: NW 10-20 kt, becoming 15-25 kt in the afternoon, seas 6-8 ft
Saturday 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 233 AM PDT Fri Jul 31 2026.
Extended Forecast
Sunday stays windy, then the wind drops Sunday night. Monday and Tuesday are forecast light, with seas of 4-7 ft.
Sources: NDBC buoy 46011; NWS zone PZZ645; lake levels from CDEC (NCM, LOP).