SLO County Fishing Report — October 17, 2026
Saturdaygauge Port San Luis / Morro Bay · NOAA 94121102 water bodies
There is a newer report: SLO County Fishing Report — October 20, 2026 →
Verdicts by place
Morro Bay offshore
Good3–4 ftwater 68°F
Seas 3-4 ft now; NW 10-15 kt Sunday afternoon and 6-8 ft seas by Monday
Lake Nacimiento
GoodBass solid, fall feeding patterns active
Lopez Lake
GoodBass steady on shad patterns
Santa Margarita Lake
FairBass fair, fish holding deeper
Tides for the day
| 2:24 PM high | 4.5 ft |
|---|---|
| 11:00 PM low | 0.8 ft |
- range
- 3.7 ft
- sunrise
- 7:11 AM
- sunset
- 6:26 PM
Predictions from NOAA Tides & Currents. 14-day calendar →
Bite grid
excellentgoodfairslownoted
| Species | Nacimiento | Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Bass | goodlargemouth · white | not reported |
| Crappie / panfish | good | not reported |
| Rockfish | not reported | good |
| Lingcod | not reported | excellent |
| Halibut | not reported | fair |
By water
from the reportNot reported.
- Largemouth bass good On topwater and subsurface lures
- White bass Active near shad schools
- Crappie good Near submerged structure
None listed.
- Status Good
Follow the shad schools with small swimbaits, spinnerbaits and slow crawdad patterns.
Marine forecast
seaswindas written in the report
- Todaylighter
- seas
- 3–4 ft
- wind
- E 10–15 kt
becoming W to NW this afternoon
- Tonightlighter
- seas
- 3–5 ft
- wind
- NW 5–10 kt
in the evening, becoming light
- Sundaylighter
- seas
- 4–6 ft
- wind
- NW 10–15 kt
in the afternoon, light winds in the morning
- Monday
- seas
- 6–8 ft
- wind
- NW 15–20 kt
in the afternoon, 10-20 kt in the morning
Full report2 min read ›
A cold front is on the way and the wind is coming up.
Conditions Overview
The ocean is moderate on Saturday, with E wind 10-15 kt this morning turning W to NW this afternoon. The lakes are in good fall shape, and the cooling water has fish feeding.
Lake Fishing Reports
Lake Nacimiento
Status: Good
Bass fishing is solid in the fall pattern. Fish are feeding hard in the midday windows.
What's Biting:
- Largemouth bass: Good on topwater and subsurface lures
- White bass: Active near shad schools
- Crappie: Good near submerged structure
Tips: Follow the shad schools with small swimbaits, spinnerbaits and slow crawdad patterns.
Lopez Lake
No new report from Lopez Lake since October 16.
Santa Margarita Lake
No new report from Santa Margarita Lake since October 16.
Ocean Fishing - Morro Bay
Status: Good Conditions: Moderate, wind turning W to NW this afternoon Water Temp: ~68°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria, morning) Wave Height: 3-4 ft (forecast)
Seas are 3-4 ft today and build to 4-6 ft on Sunday and 6-8 ft on Monday.
Current Ocean Data (Buoy 46011 - Santa Maria):
- Wind: NW at 3-8 m/s (7-18 mph)
- Wave Height: 1.0-1.3 m (3-4 ft)
- Wave Period: 14 seconds
- Water Temp: 68°F (NDBC 46011, Santa Maria, morning)
- Air Temp: 69-71°F (21-22°C)
- Barometric Pressure: 1015-1016 hPa (steady)
Marine Forecast:
- Today: E 10-15 kt, becoming W to NW this afternoon, seas 3-4 ft
- Tonight: NW 5-10 kt in the evening, becoming light, seas 3-5 ft
- Sunday: NW 10-15 kt in the afternoon, light winds in the morning, seas 4-6 ft
- Monday: NW 15-20 kt in the afternoon, 10-20 kt in the morning, seas 6-8 ft
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard, zone PZZ645 (Point Piedras Blancas to Point Sal), issued 815 AM PDT Sat Oct 17 2026.
What's Biting:
- Rockfish - Good action over rocky structure (60-150 ft)
- Lingcod - Strong action
- Halibut - Fair prospects along the beaches and at Cayucos Pier
Morro Bay Landing (Oct 16): Avenger, full day, 13 anglers: 116 rockfish, 17 red rockfish, 16 copper rockfish, 11 bocaccio, 9 lingcod. Patriot Sportfishing (Oct 16): Sunny Day, 3/4 day, 4 anglers: 38 rockcod, 5 lingcod. Counts: SportfishingReport.com dock totals, Oct 16.
Cayucos Pier is the sheltered option for halibut and perch. Smaller boats should go early: Sunday morning has light winds before the NW wind comes up in the afternoon.
Next Week
Rain is possible Monday and showers are likely Tuesday, with rough seas. Conditions should settle by Wednesday.