SLO County Fishing Report — August 25, 2026
Tuesdaygauge 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
Fair3–5 ftwater 63°F
Choppy in a fresh NW wind, small craft advisory tonight; seas 3-5 ft, 5-7 ft Wed-Thu
Lake Nacimiento
Good752.2 ft41% capacity
Bass excellent; crawdads midday
Lopez Lake
Good511.9 ft81% capacity
Bass solid; fish feeding on shad
Santa Margarita Lake
FairBass fair; crappie and cats near timber at dusk
Tides for the day
| 3:36 AM low | -0.1 ft |
|---|---|
| 10:10 AM high | 3.9 ft |
| 2:52 PM low | 2.5 ft |
| 8:56 PM high | 5.6 ft |
- range
- 5.7 ft
- minus tide
- -0.1 ft
- sunrise
- 6:30 AM
- sunset
- 7:40 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Nacimiento | Lopez | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | excellentlargemouth · white | good | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | good | not reported | not reported |
| Rockfish | not reported | not reported | noted |
| Lingcod | not reported | not reported | excellent |
| Halibut | not reported | not reported | good |
| Salmon | not reported | not reported | notedseason |
By water
from the report- Water Level 752.2 ft, 158,682 AF (41% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Aug 25.
- Largemouth bass excellent Topwater early and late, crawdad patterns midday
- White bass Active near shad schools
- Crappie good Near submerged structure
None listed.
- Status Great
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Today
- seas
- 3–5 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
NW 10-20 kt this afternoon, 5-10 kt this morning, gusts 25
- Tonight
- seas
- 5–6 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
easing to 10-20 kt after midnight
- Wednesday
- seas
- 5–7 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
NW 15-25 kt in the afternoon, 10-15 kt in the morning
- Thursday
- seas
- 5–7 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
NW 15-25 kt in the afternoon, 10-15 kt in the morning
Full report2 min read ›
A fresh NW wind is up and the ocean is getting choppy, with a small craft advisory from this afternoon through late tonight. Seas build to 5-7 ft on Wednesday and Thursday, so mornings are the window for the boats.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
Status: Great Water Level: 752.2 ft, 158,682 AF (41% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Aug 25.
- Largemouth bass: Excellent. Topwater early and late, crawdad patterns midday
- White bass: Active near shad schools
- Crappie: Good near submerged structure
Lopez Lake
Status: Good Water Level: 511.9 ft, 40,106 AF (81% of capacity), CDEC LOP, Aug 25.
- Bass: Solid on shad raps, Zoom worms and crawdads, mostly from shallow coves near structure
Tips: The bass are feeding heavily on shad; small swimbaits and spinnerbaits work.
Santa Margarita Lake
Status: Fair
- Bass: Fair, holding deep at midday
Ocean Fishing - Morro Bay
Status: Good (Choppy) Conditions: Fresh NW winds, moderate swell building Water Temp: 63°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria, morning) Wave Height: 3-5 ft
The wind makes it choppy today, and seas build to 5-7 ft on Wednesday. Mornings are best.
Buoy 46011 (Santa Maria):
-
Wind: NW at 10-15 kt, increasing to 15-20 kt this afternoon
-
Wave Height: ~4-5 ft (1.4-1.5m)
-
Wave Period: 7-14 seconds (mixed swell)
-
Water Temp: 63°F (17°C)
-
Air Temp: 62-65°F (17-18°C)
-
Rockfish: Vermilion and blues among them
-
Lingcod: Strong
-
Halibut: Good prospects along the beaches and from the pier
Salmon Season: Open.
Patriot Sportfishing (Aug 25): Flying Fish, half day, 20 anglers: 191 rockcod, 5 red rockcod, 4 copper rockfish, 1 lingcod. Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Aug 25.
Marine Forecast
Today: NW 10-20 kt this afternoon, 5-10 kt this morning, gusts 25, seas 3-5 ft Tonight: NW 15-25 kt, easing to 10-20 kt after midnight, seas 5-6 ft Wednesday: NW 15-25 kt in the afternoon, 10-15 kt in the morning, seas 5-7 ft Thursday: NW 15-25 kt in the afternoon, 10-15 kt in the morning, seas 5-7 ft
Small craft advisory in effect from this afternoon through late tonight.
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 212 AM PDT Tue Aug 25 2026.
Sources: NDBC buoy 46011; weather from Open-Meteo.