SLO County Fishing Report — October 11, 2026
Sundaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121105 water bodies
There is a newer report: SLO County Fishing Report — October 20, 2026 →
Verdicts by place
Lake Nacimiento
Good742.5 ft33% capacity
Catfish excellent in deep water; white bass schooling on shad
Santa Margarita Lake
GoodLargemouth on deep structure, fall bite heating up
San Antonio Lake
Fair737.9 ft47% capacity
Catfish good on chicken liver; water levels stable
Morro Bay offshore
Rough10–13 ftNW 19–21 kt
Small craft advisory through this evening; NW 15-20 kt, gusts to 25, seas 7-10 ft
Tides for the day
| 4:25 AM low | 1.7 ft |
|---|---|
| 10:35 AM high | 5.8 ft |
| 5:29 PM low | 0.1 ft |
| 11:45 PM high | 4.3 ft |
- range
- 5.7 ft
- sunrise
- 7:06 AM
- sunset
- 6:34 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Morro Bay | Nacimiento | Santa Margarita | Lopez | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | not reported | goodwhite · spotted | goodlargemouth | good | fair |
| Catfish | not reported | not reported | good | not reported | good |
| Crappie / panfish | not reported | not reported | good | notedpanfish | not reported |
| Trout | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported | slow |
| Rockfish | excellentvermilion · copper · blue | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Lingcod | good | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Salmon | slow | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
By water
from the report- Wind NW 19-21 kts with gusts to 27 kts
- Wave Height 10-13 ft (very rough seas)
- Water Temp 67.5°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria, morning)
- Air Temp 62°F (16°C)
- Water Temp 63-66°F (NDBC 46215, Diablo Canyon, morning)
- Lingcod good
- Rockfish excellent Action across all species
- Vermilion Rockfish excellent Showing in 80-150 ft
- Copper Rockfish good Numbers
- Blue Rockfish excellent
- Salmon slow The ocean salmon season south of Pigeon Point ended Sep 30.
- Mackerel · active in the bay
- Sardines · showing up, good for trolling.
- Squid · consistent performer
- Pressure 29.54 in - falling (storm approaching)
- Morro Bay Landing (Oct 10) Endeavor, full day, 30 anglers: 80 bocaccio, 23 lingcod (up to 14 lb), 170 rockfish, 35 red rockfish.
- Patriot Sportfishing (Oct 10) Flying Fish, 1/2 day, 21 anglers: 112 rockcod, 4 bonito, 2 bocaccio, 1 lingcod.
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Today
- seas
- 7–10 ft
- wind
- NW 15–20 kt
with gusts to 25 kt, rising from 5-10 kt
- Tonight
- seas
- 6–9 ft
- wind
- W 15–20 kt
with gusts to 25 kt, becoming S 10-15 kt after midnight
- Monday
- seas
- 6–8 ft
- wind
- S 5–10 kt
in the morning, becoming light
- Tuesdaylighter
- seas
- 4–6 ft
- wind
- NW 10–15 kt
in the afternoon, light winds in the morning
Full report2 min read ›
A small craft advisory and 7-10 ft seas keep small boats in port today, and seas are still 6-8 ft on Monday, so this is a lake weekend.
Ocean Conditions Alert
NDBC Buoy 46011 (Santa Maria):
- Wind: NW 19-21 kts with gusts to 27 kts
- Wave Height: 10-13 ft (very rough seas)
- Water Temp: 67.5°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria, morning)
- Air Temp: 62°F (16°C)
- Pressure: 29.54 in - falling (storm approaching)
Marine Forecast:
- Today: NW 15-20 kt with gusts to 25 kt, rising from 5-10 kt, seas 7-10 ft
- Tonight: W 15-20 kt with gusts to 25 kt, becoming S 10-15 kt after midnight, seas 6-9 ft
- Monday: S 5-10 kt in the morning, becoming light, seas 6-8 ft
- Tuesday: NW 10-15 kt in the afternoon, light winds in the morning, seas 4-6 ft
Small craft advisory in effect through this evening.
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 108 AM PDT Sun Oct 11 2026.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
- Level: 742.5 ft, 126,939 AF (33% of capacity), CDEC NCM, Oct 11.
- White Bass: Good. Early morning shallow bite, schooling on shad
- Spotted Bass: Good on main lake points and creek channels
- Best Lures: Spinnerbaits, crankbaits (shad colors), topwater early morning
Santa Margarita Lake
- Largemouth Bass: Good.
- Best Baits: Deep-diving crankbaits, drop-shots, Texas rigs
- Crappie: Good on deep brush in 15-25 ft
- Catfish: Good. Chicken liver and garlic shrimp
- Tip: Work the creek channels and deep points.
Lopez Lake
- Level: 510.3 ft, 38,877 AF (79% of capacity), CDEC LOP, Oct 11.
- Bass: Good.
- Panfish: Bluegill and crappie near marina structure
- Tip: Deep pockets and creek channels
San Antonio Lake
- Level: 737.9 ft, 154,425 AF (47% of capacity), CDEC ATN, Oct 11.
- Trout: Slow. Try PowerBait at dawn near inlet
- Catfish: Good. Big cats on chicken liver
- Bass: Fair on shallow crankbaits early morning
- Tip: The water is low. What deep pockets are left hold the fish.
Ocean Fishing: Morro Bay
Small boats should stay in today. Seas ease to 4-6 ft by Tuesday.
When conditions improve, expect:
- Lingcod: Good.
- Rockfish: Excellent action across all species
- Vermilion Rockfish: Strong showing in 80-150 ft
- Copper Rockfish: Good numbers
- Blue Rockfish: Abundant.
- Salmon: Closed. The ocean salmon season south of Pigeon Point ended Sep 30.
Morro Bay Landing (Oct 10): Endeavor, full day, 30 anglers: 80 bocaccio, 23 lingcod (up to 14 lb), 170 rockfish, 35 red rockfish. Patriot Sportfishing (Oct 10): Flying Fish, 1/2 day, 21 anglers: 112 rockcod, 4 bonito, 2 bocaccio, 1 lingcod. Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Oct 10.
Current Bait Report:
- Mackerel active in the bay
- Sardines showing up, good for trolling.
- Squid — consistent performer
Water Temp: 63-66°F (NDBC 46215, Diablo Canyon, morning)
This Week
Seas are still 6-8 ft on Monday, so Monday is a lake day too. Seas ease to 4-6 ft on Tuesday.
Data Sources: NDBC Buoy 46011 and 46215, NWS, CDEC, CDFW