Rd
VOL.39 • ISS. 18
MAP FEATURE
August 21, 2020
15
Lake Oroville Facts
Location and Size: Near the City of Oroville this man-made
lake was formed by the tallest earth-filled dam in the country at
900 feet at max capacity, 770 feet above the stream bed of the
Feather River. When the Lake is at its maximum elevation, it
includes some 15,500 surface acres for recreation and 167 miles
of shoreline. Recreation areas are spotted around the Lake and
boaters can land at any point to explore the surrounding country.
History: Lake Oroville was created by Oroville Dam, which
the State Department of Water Resources completed in 1967
after 5 years of construction. Lake Oroville conserves water for
distribution by the State Water Project to homes, farms, and
industries in the San Francisco Bay area, the San Joaquin Valley
and Southern California. The Oroville facilities of the project
also serve to provide flood control and smog free generation of
electric power in addition to recreation.
Activities: The lake offers a wide variety of outdoor activities
including camping, picnicking, horseback riding, hiking, sail and
power boating, water-skiing, fishing, swimming, boat-in camping,
floating campsites and horse camping. Fishing is available
year-round.
Lake Oroville Visitor Center: (closed at this time due to COVID
pandemic): has a museum, exhibits, videos and a store. The view
from the 47-foot tower, with two high-powered telescopes, is a
spectacular panoramic view of the lake, Sierra Nevada, valley,
foothills, and the Sutter Buttes mountain range (smallest in the
world).
As California State Parks begins working with locals on a
phased and regionally-driven approach to increase access to
state park units where compliance with state and local public
health ordinances can be achieved, it is important for visitors to
continue to practice physical distancing and avoid congregating
with people outside their immediate household. Everyone has
the responsibility to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Boat Ramps and Campgrounds
Bidwell Canyon – Campground Ph. #: (530) 538-2218
Lime Saddle – Campground Ph. #: (530) 876-8516
Loafer Creek – Campground Ph. #: (530) 538-2217
The Spillway Ramp
Lake Oroville Visitor Center: Ph. #: (530) 538-2219
Fishing Guides:
Bret Brady, Bare Bones Guide Service, 530-263-4451
Rob Reimers, Rustic Rob’s Guide Service, 530-632-0051
Lime
Saddle
Marina
Pentz Rd
Messala
Valley
Road
Thermalito
To
Richvale
To
Chico
Marysville
70
Nelson
Bar
Fish
Barrier
Dam
Table Mtn Blvd
70
Feather River
Blvd
Pentz Rd
Oroville
Car
Top
Only
South Table
Mountain
El 1132
Thermalito
Diversion
Dam
Sugarloaf
El 1654
Serpentine
Point
El 1820
Truex
Rd
Vinton
Gulch Rd
Cherokee
Grub Flat Res
Littlefield Res
Cherokee Road
Orodam Blvd
Tom Jones Res
Morgan
Res
Cannon
Res
Oroville
Oregon Gulch
Concow Rd.
West Branch
Bridge
Spring
Valley
Cherokee Road
Spring Valley Gulch
Oregon City
El 1200
Mpnte Del Oro
El 1152
Thermalito
Diversion
Pool
Long Bar Rd
Orodam Blvd
Oroville
Bangor
Hwy
To
Quincy &
Lake Almanor
Spring
Bloomer
Pt
Valley
Res Bloomer
Cove
The High
Rocks
El 1543
Quincy
Foothill
Oroville
Bloomer
Group
Blvd
Bangor
Hwy
Goat
Ranch
Potter
Ravine
Hwy
Lower Wyandotte
Bloomer
Knoll
162
Rd
Car
Top
Only
Oroville
Dam
North
Bloomer
Island
Kennedy
Ravine
Fork
Potter
Point
Lake
Oroville
Spillway
Visitor
Center
Olive Hwy
Oroville
Feather
Foreman
Creek
Bangor
River
Oroville-Quincy Hwy
Bidwell
Marina
Miners Ranch Rd
Miners
Ranch
Res.
Hwy
162
Bidwell Bar
Bridge
Oroville Quncy Rd
Berry Crk
Sycamore
Creek
Loafer
Creek
Hurleton
Ophir Rd
Boaters catch the Chinooks while trolling with hoochies and Berkley Gulp! Minnows, tipped with anchovy strips, behind Sling Blades and other dodgers. Other minnow imitation lures,
Craig
Saddle
Woodman
Ravine
Lake
Wyandotte
Road
PLUMAS
NATIONAL
Oroville
Union Hill
El 1924
Middle
Fork
Crystal Hill
El 2017
Quincy
Bean
Feather
River
Oregon Creek
Rd
Hwy
Big Bald
Rock
El 3274
Creek
Enterprise
Indian
Rancheria
McCabe
Cove
Bald
Rock
Berry Creek
Indian
Rancheria
Rd
Mountain
House
El 3540
Hurleton
State Recreation Area
Forbestown Rd
Brush Creek
El 3502
Little Bald
Rock
El 3334
Island
Island Bar
Hill
E2801
Lumpkin Hill Rd
South
Fork
Feather
Bald Rock
Dome
El 3509
Rd
Bar Hill
Kanaka PK
El 3044
Ponderosa
River
Way
FOREST
Ponderosa
Res.
Lake Oroville
Butte County
Sucker Run
South
New York Flat Rd
Fork
Old Forbestown
El 2775
Forbestown
El 2825
Fishing Notes:
Brownsville
El 2302
• Chinook Salmon - The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is no longer planting coho salmon in Lake Oroville, but switched over to annual Chinook salmon plants in 2012.
including Needlefish, Dick Nites, Rapalas and Ex-Cel spoons, will also work. Mooching with anchovies and nightcrawlers near the dam is also productive. Bank anglers fishing during the
spring and fall can hook the kings while using minnows and nightcrawlers under slip bobbers.
• Black Bass - Spotted Bass now dominate the lake's fishery, replacing the once abundant redeye and smallmouth bass. You can catch and release large numbers of the spots year round
while tossing out Senkos, soft plastic worms, tubes, jigs, crankbaits, ripbaits, spinnerbaits and top water lures. Fishing can be very good in the late fall and winter months since, unlike
smallmouth and largemouth bass, the fish remain active when the water becomes cold. A sleeper population of quality largemouth bass also rewards anglers fishing at the reservoir.
• Crappie - Fish jigs and minnows around docks and rocky structure, particularly in the fall and spring months. While Oroville is not known for its large numbers of crappie, it kicks out
some quality fish every year.
• Channel Catfish - Cats can be fooled year round, but the best time is in the heat of the summer, although fishing can be very good during the winter when big storm flows are surging
into the lake. Use mackerel, nightcrawlers, anchovies, sardines chicken livers and other baits in the coves.
Feather
River
The good news is that the Chinook salmon
fishery has rebounded over the past couple
of years, with the lake vying for the state’s
top landlocked salmon fishery for both
numbers and average size this season.
The California Department of Fish and
Wildlife normally plants fingerling
Chinooks in the fall. Releases vary by
year, with Feather River Fish Hatchery
stocking 130,984 yearlings in the lake in
2019.
The Oroville trout and salmon stocking
began in 1968 after the lake was filled
and opened to the public – and has gone
through many twists and turns over the
years.
From 1986 to 1992, the CDFW with additional
private stocking, planted rainbow
trout, brown trout, Chinook salmon, Coho
salmon, brook trout and lake trout at
various times over the years, according to
a report from the California Department of
Water Resources published in 2009.
From the 1980s until the early 1990s, there
were fish disease and supply problems, so
from 1993 to 2000 the CDFW and DWR
oversaw the planting of Chinook salmon
and brown trout in the lake.
The brown trout fishery in particular was
prized by anglers, since the shore fishing
with night crawlers and minnows under
bobbers, as well as the trolling, was very
good.
In 2000, the agencies made a recommendation
for planting 170,000 Chinook
salmon and 60,000 brown trout. However,
a virus problem arose at the Feather River
Hatchery, traced to Lake Oroville chinook
stocking, and a stocking moratorium
placed on Lake Oroville.
In addition, in 2001 CDFW/UCD IHN
studies showed IHN disease resistance of
8 salmonid species: brown trout, kokanee
salmon, lake trout, Coho salmon, Pit River
strain rainbow trout, brook trout, Lahontan
cutthroat and coastal cutthroat. There was
significant mortality in all but Coho, so
DFG decided that only Coho should be
planted in the lake.
In 2002, eggs arrived from a commercial
hatchery in Washington state (Aquaseed).
Coho salmon were stocked in 2002 and
Kristin of Sacramento had a great time battling this hard-fighting Chinook salmon at Lake
Oroville.
Photo courtesy of DARYL CARTER, Sacramento.
2003 – and they became very popular with
anglers.
However, in 2004-05, there was a disease
problem with Aquaseed broodstock (BKD)
and CDFW fish pathologists provide
guidance to Aquaseed on their broodstock
management.
From 2006-09 to 2012, the stocking of
Aquaseed Coho resumed, but it was
discontinued after Department scientific
staff shared their concern that continued
use of Coho salmon would jeopardize
future efforts to recovery the species in
California.
“There were two primary concerns.,”
said Jay Rowan, environmental program
manager for
CDFW’s Hatchery
Production and Fish
Health Laboratory.
“First, that non-native
stock in Oroville
would escape the
reservoir and pose
a genetic contamination
threat to
native populations in
California. Because
the Sacramento
River flows to San
Francisco Bay,
part of the range
of the Endangered
Central Coast ESU,
this concern was
significant. Though
the recovery staff
believed Coho
salmon would
escape, others in the
Department were
confident this would
not occur,” he stated.
“Second, continued
support for allowing
the species occurrence
outside its
native range would
prolong arguments
and proposals to allow recovery to include
planting of native Coho salmon as a
strategic element of the State’s recovery,”
said Rowan.
After the Coho plants ended, the CDFW
stocked 91,788 kings in 2013, 139,709 in
2014, 139,388 in 2015, 133.120 in 2016
and 135,000 in 2017.
Besides the salmon fishery at the lake,
Lake Oroville also hosts spotted bass,
largemouth bass, redeye bass, black
crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel
catfish and other species in its clear waters.
For more information about Lake Oroville
fishing, call Willfish Bait and Tackle, (530)
887-0839.
T.J. proudly displays a hefty Chinook salmon that he landed while
mooching at Lake Oroville in late July.
Photo courtesy of DARYL CARTER, Sacramento.