SLO County Fishing Report — October 19, 2026

A small craft advisory and 7-8 ft seas keep small boats in port today, so the lakes are the better bet, and light rain Tuesday through Thursday should help them.

Conditions Overview

Monday brings moderate to fresh northwesterly breezes with hazardous conditions for small craft on the inner coastal waters. Winds diminish and back to a gentle southerly breeze Tuesday and Wednesday before returning to moderate to fresh northerly breezes Thursday. Light rain showers are expected Tuesday through Thursday.

---

Lake Fishing Reports

Lake Nacimiento

• Bass: Good. Largemouth on topwater and subsurface lures as water temperatures drop into the 60s; fish feed hardest in midday windows
• White Bass: Active near shad schools
• Crappie: Good near submerged structure
• Best Spots: Main lake points in 15-25 ft, the Las Tablas area and up the narrows, floating baitfish schools in the mornings
• Tip: Shad schools are driving bass behavior. Try small swimbaits, spinnerbaits and slow-moving crawdad patterns.

Lopez Lake

• Bass: Good. Steady on shad patterns
• Best Spots: Shallow pockets and coves, points with creek channel access, docks and pier areas
• Tip: Fish are keying on shad, so match them with small swimbaits in chrome/silver.

Santa Margarita Lake

• Bass: Fair. Holding deeper as water temperatures drop
• Crappie: Picking up at dusk and dawn, near brush piles
• Catfish: Picking up at dusk and dawn, on cut bait at night
• Best Spots: Deep water structure at dawn and dusk
• Tip: Focus on early morning and evening, when the water is coolest.

---

Ocean Fishing - Morro Bay

A Small Craft Advisory is in effect through this afternoon for the inner coastal waters south of Point Pinos.

• Water Temp: ~68°F (20°C), NDBC 46011
• Waves: 7-8 ft today, subsiding to 6-7 ft tonight

Marine Forecast (Point Pinos to Point Piedras Blancas):

• Today: NW wind 10-15 kt, seas 7-8 ft (NW 8 ft at 12 seconds, S 3 ft at 16 seconds)
• Tonight: NW wind 5-10 kt, seas 6-7 ft
• Tuesday: SE around 5 kt, seas around 6 ft, chance of showers
• Wednesday: SE wind 5-10 kt, seas 6-7 ft, showers likely

What's Biting

• Rockfish: Good. Over rocky structure in 60-150 ft

• Lingcod: Strong action

• Halibut: Fair prospects along the beaches and at Cayucos Pier

• Best Spots: Bottom fishing over rocky structure in 60-150 ft (go deeper for calmer water), drift fishing along the drop-offs, and Cayucos Pier for halibut and perch, which is more sheltered

• Tip: Smaller vessels should wait for Tuesday, when winds diminish.

---

Extended Forecast

• Tuesday: Showers possible, winds light, seas moderate
• Wednesday: Showers likely, rough seas expected
• Thursday: Clearing, northerly winds return and seas build again
• Friday: Strong NW winds 20-25 kt, seas 8-9 ft