SLO County Fishing Report — August 14, 2026
Fridaygauge 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
Good3–4 ftwater 66.7°F
Great; light winds, seas 3-4 ft, approaching southerly swell
Lake Nacimiento
Good754.9 ft44% capacity
Bass fishing remains excellent
Lopez Lake
GoodBass fishing is solid with good action on shad rap, zoom worms, and crawdad patterns
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 | Santa Margarita | San Antonio | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | notedlargemouth · white | fair | excellent | not reported |
| Catfish | not reported | notedcrappie and | not reported | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | good | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Rockfish | not reported | not reported | not reported | noted |
| Lingcod | not reported | not reported | not reported | excellent |
| Halibut | not reported | not reported | not reported | good |
| Salmon | not reported | not reported | not reported | notedseason |
By water
from the report- Water Level 754.93 ft, 168,231 AF (44% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Aug 14. Down 1.69 ft from last week.
- Largemouth bass Great on topwater lures at dawn/dusk
- White bass Active near shad schools
- Crappie good Near submerged structure
None listed.
- Status Great
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Todaylighter
- seas
- 3–4 ft
- wind
- W 10–15 kt
W 10-15 kt in the afternoon after light morning winds
- Tonightlighter
- seas
- 3–4 ft
- wind
- NW 10–15 kt
becoming 5-10 kt after midnight
- Saturday
- seas
- 3–4 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
NW 10-20 kt in the afternoon after light morning winds
- Saturday night
- seas
- 4–5 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
Full report2 min read ›
The Santa Maria buoy is up to 66.7°F and the northwest wind is light. A long-period southerly swell reaches the coast Friday night and runs through Sunday, so Friday is the cleaner ocean day. Nacimiento dropped another 1.69 ft this week, to 754.93 ft.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
Status: Great Water Level: 754.93 ft, 168,231 AF (44% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Aug 14. Down 1.69 ft from last week.
Bass are still excellent. Topwater is best early and late.
What's Biting:
- Largemouth bass: Great on topwater lures at dawn/dusk
- White bass: Active near shad schools
- Crappie: Good near submerged structure
Lopez Lake
Status: Good Water Level: 512.30 ft, 40,461 AF (82% of capacity), CDEC LOP, Aug 14. Down 0.27 ft from last week.
Santa Margarita Lake
Status: Fair
- Bass: Fair, holding deep in the midday heat
- Crappie and catfish: Picking up at dawn and dusk near submerged timber
Lake San Antonio
Status: Good
Water Level: 742.92 ft, 170,992 AF (52% of capacity), CDEC ATN, Aug 14.
Bass: Excellent.
Ocean Fishing - Morro Bay
Status: Great Conditions: Light NW winds, moderate seas, approaching southerly swell Water Temp: 66.7°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria) Wave Height: 3-4 ft (NWS forecast)
Rockfish season is still producing. A long-period southerly swell (3 ft at 15-18 seconds in the forecast) arrives tonight.
Current Ocean Data (Buoy 46011 - Santa Maria):
- Wind: NW (300-330°) at 2-3 m/s (~4-7 mph)
- Wave Height: ~4-5 ft (1.3m)
- Water Temp: 66.7°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria)
- Air Temp: 63.3°F (17.5°C)
- Pressure: 1015.3 hPa (steady)
Marine forecast:
Today: W 10-15 kt in the afternoon after light morning winds, seas 3-4 ft
Tonight: NW 10-15 kt, becoming 5-10 kt after midnight, seas 3-4 ft
Saturday: NW 10-20 kt in the afternoon after light morning winds, seas 3-4 ft
Saturday night: NW 10-20 kt, seas 4-5 ft
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 858 AM PDT Fri Aug 14 2026.
What's Biting:
- Rockfish: Multiple species including vermilion and blue
- Lingcod: Strong action
- Halibut: Good prospects along the beaches
Morro Bay Landing (Aug 13): Avenger, 1/2 day, 24 anglers: 224 rockfish, 7 copper rockfish, 5 bocaccio, 4 lingcod.
Patriot Sportfishing (Aug 13): Patriot, full day, 16 anglers: 106 bolina, 52 rockcod, 2 cabezon, 2 lingcod.
Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Aug 13.
Salmon Season: Currently open.
Tips: Go early, before the afternoon wind.
Extended Forecast
Sunday has NW 10-20 kt with 3-5 ft seas. Monday afternoon builds to NW 15-25 kt, and Monday night to NW 20-30 kt with 4-6 ft seas, so Monday is the day to stay in.
Sources: NDBC buoy 46011; NWS zone PZZ645; lake levels from CDEC (NCM, LOP, ATN); counts from SportfishingReport.com.