SLO County Fishing Report — August 31, 2026
Mondaygauge 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
Fair4–5 ftwater 63°F
Rockfish steady, NW wind building to 10-20 kt; seas 4-5 ft
Lake Nacimiento
Good750.7 ft40% capacity
Bass excellent, chasing shad all over the lake
Lopez Lake
Good511.6 ft81% capacity
Bass solid in the coves; lake in good shape
Santa Margarita Lake
FairBass fair and deep; good summer level
Tides for the day
| 12:14 AM high | 4.6 ft |
|---|---|
| 6:16 AM low | 1.2 ft |
| 12:36 PM high | 5.3 ft |
| 7:10 PM low | 1.1 ft |
- range
- 4.2 ft
- sunrise
- 6:35 AM
- sunset
- 7:32 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Nacimiento | Lopez | Santa Margarita | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | excellentlargemouth · white | good | fair | not reported |
| Catfish | not reported | not reported | notedcrappie and | 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 750.7 ft, 153,195 AF (40% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Aug 31.
- Largemouth bass excellent Topwater at dawn and dusk, small swimbaits through the day
- White bass Active near shad schools
- Crappie good Near submerged structure
None listed.
- Status Great
Crawdad patterns midday.
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Today
- seas
- 4–5 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
NW 10-20 kt this afternoon, 5-10 kt this morning
- Tonight
- seas
- 3–5 ft
- wind
- NW 10–20 kt
- Tuesdaylighter
- seas
- 3–4 ft
- wind
- W 10–15 kt
W 10-15 kt in the afternoon, N 5-10 kt in the morning
- Wednesday
- seas
- 2–4 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
NW 15-25 kt in the afternoon, N 5-10 kt in the morning
Full report2 min read ›
Mild temperatures and a NW wind that is picking up through the morning. The lakes are warm, and the ocean is getting a little choppy, so the early hours are the better time on the water.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
Status: Great Water Level: 750.7 ft, 153,195 AF (40% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Aug 31.
Shad schools are all over the lake and the bass are feeding hard on them.
- Largemouth bass: Excellent. Topwater at dawn and dusk, small swimbaits through the day
- White bass: Active near shad schools
- Crappie: Good near submerged structure
Tips: Crawdad patterns midday.
Lopez Lake
Status: Good Water Level: 511.6 ft, 39,905 AF (81% of capacity), CDEC LOP, Aug 31.
- Bass: Solid on shad raps, Zoom worms and crawdads from the shallow coves near structure. Swimbaits and spinnerbaits that look like shad also work
Santa Margarita Lake
Status: Fair
- Bass: Fair, holding deep during the midday heat
- Crappie and catfish: Picking up at dawn and dusk near submerged timber
The lake level is good for summer.
Ocean Fishing - Morro Bay
Status: Good Conditions: Moderate winds, moderate swell Water Temp: 63°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria, morning) Wave Height: 4-5 ft
Rockfish are still biting well. The NW wind will make it choppier as the day goes on; the morning is calmer.
Buoy 46011 (Santa Maria):
-
Wind: WNW (330°) at 5.0-7.0 m/s, gusting to 8.0-9.0 m/s (~11-20 mph)
-
Wave Height: ~5 ft (1.5-1.7m)
-
Water Temp: 63°F (17.2°C)
-
Air Temp: 59°F (15.2°C)
-
Pressure: 1014 hPa (steady)
-
Rockfish: Vermilion and blues among them
-
Lingcod: Strong
-
Halibut: Good prospects along the beaches
Salmon Season: Open.
Morro Bay Landing (Aug 30): Endeavor, full day, 30 anglers: 190 rockfish, 45 red rockfish, 35 bocaccio, 34 lingcod (up to 16 lb), 30 copper rockfish. Patriot Sportfishing (Aug 30): Flying Fish, half day, 22 anglers: 213 rockcod (up to 6 lb), 4 red rockcod, 3 copper rockfish. Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Aug 30.
Marine Forecast
Today: NW 10-20 kt this afternoon, 5-10 kt this morning, seas 4-5 ft Tonight: NW 10-20 kt, seas 3-5 ft Tuesday: W 10-15 kt in the afternoon, N 5-10 kt in the morning, seas 3-4 ft Wednesday: NW 15-25 kt in the afternoon, N 5-10 kt in the morning, seas 2-4 ft
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 208 AM PDT Mon Aug 31 2026.
Sources: NDBC buoy 46011; weather from Open-Meteo.