VOL. 44 • ISS. 4 |
MAP FEATURE |
April 25, 2025 |
15 |
Rancho Seco Facts
Location: in the rolling hills of southeastern Sacramento County east of Herald. From Sacramento, take Highway 99 south to the Highway 104 exit. Go east on Highway 104, 15 miles, to the Rancho Seco Park exit.
Fishing Season: The park is open year round to fishing and other activities from 7 a. m. to 6 p. m. The park entrance gate is locked nightly.
Day Use: The day use fee is $ 12 per vehicle.
Tent Camping: There are 20 lakeside campsites where you can pitch a tent or sleep under the stars. Each campsite has a barbecue, picnic table and drinking water. A semi-private 1-1 / 4 acre grassy area is available for group campovers and special events. Reservations are required at least two weeks in advance.
RV Camping: The southwestern rim of the park features 18 RV campsites. Each site has a barbecue, fire pit, picnic table, drinking water and electrical outlets. A dump station is conveniently located. The maximum stay is 14 days.
Picnic Facilities: One hundred shady, grassy picnic areas adorn the lake’ s southern shore. Picnic tables and barbecues are available on a first come basis. Picnic areas can be reserved for groups of 30 people or more.
Swimming: the lake is roped off along a 36,000 square foot sandy beach. Lifeguards are on duty during the summer. Children should always be supervised by a responsible adult.
Extras: General Store( open May-September), solar heated showers, fish cleaning station, 3 public restrooms, horseshoe pit, Rec. Room with washer and dryer( for overnight campers only), handicapped access.
Information: 24 hour informational recording,( 209) 748-2318; RV, tent and group camping and picnic reservations, 800-416-6992.
Boating and Rentals: The golden mussel, an invasive species, found in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for the first time in North America, can have wide-spread impacts throughout our economy and waterways if allowed to spread. Out of an abundance of caution, SMUD issued these new boating restrictions for Rancho Seco Lake:
• No trailer-launched watercraft will be allowed on the lake.
• Hand-launched watercraft will be allowed, as long as the watercraft has not been used in other waters, including the Delta, within the previous 30 days. The boat launching fee is $ 15.
• No live aquatic bait, including all baitfish, crawfish, crabs, mussels, etc., can be used on the lake.
• Small electric trolling motors and other hand-launched watercraft such as hand-launched canoes, rafts, kayaks, rowboats, paddle boats, inflatables, sculls and other hand-launched recreational watercraft will still be allowed on the lake.
• All permitted watercrafts will be required to undergo a watercraft inspection by a certified inspector or canine upon park entry. Inspectors will restrict any boat that has been in any other body of water in the last 30 days or that they deem a risk.
• All watercrafts must be clean, drained, and dry. Boaters will be required to participate in visual inspections of their watercraft.
• All visitors planning to launch any flotation device will receive inspection and must be fully clean, drained and dry before launching.
Please ensure your watercraft is safe and free from invasive species by using this free Expect to Inspect mapping tool that includes free, self-service cleaning stations. Learn more about the golden mussel here.
To Hiways 104, 99 and I-5
Sacramento
Twin Cities Rd
Entrance
Area Map
Clay Station Road
Clay
Herald
Rancho Seco Recreational Area
Dam
Maintenance Office
B
C
Ramp Dock
Swimming Beach
A
Paved Road
Horseshoes
Rancho Seco Recreational Area
Sacramento County
Group Campsites Dump Station RV Camps Tent Camps Fish Cleaning Windsurf shop Parking Restrooms Picnic Areas General Store
Fishing Notes
• Rainbow Trout are planted from late fall through early spring in a cooperative program between the DFW and SMUD. Bank fishing is good for anglers tossing out Kastmasters, PowerBait, nightcrawlers and Pautzke salmon eggs. Float tubers and boaters find success with Wooly Buggers and flies as well as bait and lures.
• Largemouth Bass fishing is best during the spring, though the fish can be caught year round. During the winter, fish jigs, plastic worms and grubs slowly in the deeper areas of the lake. Some Florida-strain fish over 10 pounds are caught every year.
• Redear Sunfish action is most productive in the spring and summer. Fish worms and mini jigs at the edge of weedbeds. Fishing from a float tube or a boat is most effective. Crappie and bluegill are also found in the lake.
Daniel Cronin of Modesto won first place in the adult division on day two of the SMUD Trout Derby while fishing a Rooster Tail spinner off the bank. He won a kayak and trophy for his effort.
Photo by Dan Bacher
Al Ermst, SMUD Facilities and Maintenance Supervisor, and Aiden Marion pose with the kayak that he won for winning first place in the youth division on April 6.
Photo by Dan Bacher
The winners of the kids division on day two of the SMUD Rancho Seco Trout Derby had a great time fishing
Photo by Dan Bacher
Besides producing big rainbows, the lake features some of the biggest largemouth bass found in northern California, along with quality crappie, redear sunfish and bluegill.“ Fish Chris” Wolfgram of Vacaville shattered the lake largemouth record when he caught and released an 18.4 lb. largemouth bass on April 10, 2003. The largest bass are taken in the late winter and spring during the pre-spawn, spawn and post spawn periods. Anglers nail them while using Huddleston and other rainbow trout swimbaits, Senkos, swimbaits, plastic worms, spinnerbaits and jigs. Brad McGarity set a state record for a hybrid sunfish( Lepomis spp.) |
at Rancho Seco on August 16, 2015 when he landed a fish weighing 1 pound, 4 ounces, The fish measured 11 inches in length and 11.25 inches in girth. Anglers can fish the 160-acre lake from the shoreline or off one of six fishing piers. Small boats with electric motors are also allowed( no gas motors). In addition to trout, the freshwater lake is home to largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, crappie and channel catfish. The 400-acre Rancho Seco Recreational Area offers more than just fishing. The full-service facility offers picnic areas, RV and tent camping sites, a beach and swimming spots. Kayaks, rowboats, paddleboards and |
fishing boats are available to rent. The park sits in the middle of an oak woodland with oak trees dominating the horizon when looking away from the lake. Below the oaks, a variety of grasses and flowering plants grow especially near the vernal pool locations. The lake shore has a thick barrier of blackberry bushes everywhere except the dam and the picnic / camping areas. Ducks and geese swim in the recreation areas where the shore is clear. Great blue heron eat the fish from the lake. Bald eagles and hawks nest in the trees surrounding the lake. Many insects are present including dragonflies and grasshoppers. Supplied by the Folsom South |
Canal that diverts water from the American River, Rancho Seco Lake was built to serve as a source for emergency cooling water. After the power plant was decommissioned in a ballot measure approved by the region’ s voters in November 1990, the lake became a year-round recreational facility. Rancho Seco is 25 miles south of Sacramento, approximately 15 minutes east of Highway 99 on Twin Cities Road. It is 24.9 miles from Lodi via Clay Station Road and 38.2 miles from Stockton via Highway 99 N. For more information about the derby, camping and safety at the park, visit smud. org / RanchoSeco or call( 800) 416-6992. |