Fishing & Boating

Morro Bay is one of the last genuine commercial fishing harbours on the Central Coast, and the fleet still goes out most mornings.

The commercial fleet works rockfish, black cod, halibut, salmon in season and Dungeness crab through the winter. Watching the boats run the harbour entrance channel around dawn is one of the more honest pleasures in town, and it costs nothing.

Sport-fishing and whale-watching charters operate out of the Embarcadero. Seasons and operators change, so check locally rather than trusting anything you read months in advance. Grey whales typically pass on migration in winter and spring; humpbacks are more of a summer and autumn proposition.

For private boats, the harbour has guest slips and the bay itself is sheltered. The entrance channel, however, demands respect — it can break heavily on a big swell and an outgoing tide.

The short version

• The fleet runs the channel around dawn — the best free spectacle in town.
• Grey whales pass in winter and spring; humpbacks are more common summer and autumn.
• Charter seasons and operators change — check locally rather than booking on old information.
• Dungeness crab season is typically winter.
• The harbour entrance can break dangerously on a big swell against an outgoing tide.