Journal • SLO County Fishing Report — September 26, 2026

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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

    Fair

    5–7 ftwater 66°F

    NW 15-25 kt this afternoon, seas 5-7 ft, small craft advisory

  • Lake Nacimiento

    Good

    Bass feeding on shad schools before fall

  • Lopez Lake

    Good

    Bass solid in the coves on crawdad patterns

  • Santa Margarita Lake

    Fair

    Bass fair, holding deep through midday

Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 9412110 · ft MLLW · Pacific time

Tides for the day

0 ft1 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft5 ft6 ft7 ft12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM4:08 AM · 0.8 ft10:19 AM · 5.3 ft4:34 PM · 0.8 ft10:39 PM · 4.9 ft
NOAA high and low tides
4:08 AM low0.8 ft
10:19 AM high5.3 ft
4:34 PM low0.8 ft
10:39 PM high4.9 ft
range
4.5 ft
sunrise
6:54 AM
sunset
6:55 PM

Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →

Bite grid

excellentgoodfairslownoted

SpeciesNacimientoMorro Bay
Bassnotedlargemouth · whitenot reported
Crappie / panfishgoodnot reported
Rockfishnot reportedgood
Lingcodnot reportedexcellent

By water

from the report
Water

Not reported.

What's biting
  • Largemouth bass Great on topwater lures at dawn and dusk
  • White bass Active near shad schools
  • Crappie good Near submerged structure
Lures & bait

None listed.

  • Status Great

Marine forecast

seaswindas written in the report

  1. Today
    seas
    5–7 ft
    wind
    NW 15–25 kt

    NW 15-25 kt this afternoon, 5-15 kt this morning

  2. Tonight
    seas
    5–7 ft
    wind
    NW 15–25 kt

    NW 15-25 kt in the evening, easing to 5-10 kt

  3. Sunday
    seas
    5–6 ft
    wind
    NW 15–20 kt

    NW 15-20 kt in the afternoon, 5-10 kt in the morning

  4. 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.

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