SLO County Fishing Report — September 26, 2026
Saturdaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121102 places
There is a newer report: SLO County Fishing Report — November 15, 2026 →
Verdicts by place
Morro Bay offshore
Fair5–7 ftwater 66°F
NW 15-25 kt this afternoon, seas 5-7 ft, small craft advisory
Lake Nacimiento
GoodBass feeding on shad schools before fall
Lopez Lake
GoodBass solid in the coves on crawdad patterns
Santa Margarita Lake
FairBass fair, holding deep through midday
Tides for the day
| 4:08 AM low | 0.8 ft |
|---|---|
| 10:19 AM high | 5.3 ft |
| 4:34 PM low | 0.8 ft |
| 10:39 PM high | 4.9 ft |
- range
- 4.5 ft
- sunrise
- 6:54 AM
- sunset
- 6:55 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Nacimiento | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Bass | notedlargemouth · white | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | good | not reported |
| Rockfish | not reported | good |
| Lingcod | not reported | excellent |
By water
from the reportNot reported.
- Largemouth bass Great on topwater lures at dawn and dusk
- White bass Active near shad schools
- Crappie good Near submerged structure
None listed.
- Status Great
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Today
- seas
- 5–7 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
NW 15-25 kt this afternoon, 5-15 kt this morning
- Tonight
- seas
- 5–7 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
NW 15-25 kt in the evening, easing to 5-10 kt
- Sunday
- seas
- 5–6 ft
- wind
- NW 15–20 kt
NW 15-20 kt in the afternoon, 5-10 kt in the morning
- Monday
- seas
- 5–7 ft
- wind
- NW 15–25 kt
NW 15-25 kt in the afternoon with gusts to 30, 5-10 kt in the morning
Full report2 min read ›
The lakes are fishing well, and the ocean stays rough through Monday.
Conditions Overview
Saturday starts a weekend of NW wind that builds to 15-25 kt each afternoon, with a small craft advisory this afternoon and evening and gusts to 30 kt possible Monday afternoon. The water is warm, but the sea is rough.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
Status: Great
Bass fishing is still excellent. The warm water keeps fish active all day, and the bass are feeding hard on the shad schools before fall sets in. Topwater is best early and late. Small swimbaits and spinnerbaits match the shad, and crawdad patterns work at midday.
- Largemouth bass: Great on topwater lures at dawn and dusk
- White bass: Active near shad schools
- Crappie: Good near submerged structure
Lopez Lake
Status: Good
- Largemouth bass: Solid in shallow pockets and coves
Santa Margarita Lake
No new report from Santa Margarita Lake since September 23.
Ocean Fishing - Morro Bay
Status: Rough Conditions: Strong winds, moderate to large swell Water Temp: 66°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria, morning) Wave Height: 5-7 ft
The Santa Maria buoy has NNW wind at 20-22 mph with gusts near 29 mph, on short 7-8 second seas. That is a rough ride for small boats.
Current Ocean Data (Buoy 46011 - Santa Maria):
- Wind: NNW at 9-10 m/s (20-22 mph), gusting to 11-13 m/s (25-29 mph)
- Wave Height: 2.5-2.8 m (8-9 ft)
- Wave Period: 7-8 seconds
- Water Temp: 66°F (18.9°C)
- Air Temp: 63-64°F (17-18°C)
- Pressure: 1012.0-1012.7 hPa (steady)
Marine forecast:
- Today: NW 15-25 kt this afternoon, 5-15 kt this morning, seas 5-7 ft
- Tonight: NW 15-25 kt in the evening, easing to 5-10 kt, seas 5-7 ft
- Sunday: NW 15-20 kt in the afternoon, 5-10 kt in the morning, seas 5-6 ft
- Monday: NW 15-25 kt in the afternoon with gusts to 30, 5-10 kt in the morning, seas 5-7 ft
Small craft advisory in effect from this afternoon through this evening.
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 249 AM PDT Sat Sep 26 2026.
What's Biting:
- Rockfish - Good action over rocky structure (60-150 ft)
- Lingcod - Strong action
Morro Bay Landing (Sep 25): Avenger, full day, 26 anglers: 234 rockfish, 12 copper rockfish, 12 lingcod, 12 red rockfish. Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Sep 25.