Rd
VOL . 37 • ISS . 13 |
MAP FEATURE |
|
|
June 8 - 22 , 2018 |
23 |
Lake Oroville Facts
Closure Area : The area of Lake Oroville closest to the dam and extending into the main body of the lake ( approximately 1,000 yards ) is closed to boating . The closed area is delineated on the water by a series of buoys which read “ Area Closed ” and contain the State of California ’ s uniform marking that restricts access .
Location and Size : Near the City of Oroville this manmade 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 : 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 ). For further information call the Visitor Center at ( 530 ) 538-2219 . 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 is closed , probably at least for another year Lake Oroville Visitor Center : Ph . #: ( 530 ) 538-2219 Fishing Guides : Rob Reimers , Rustic Rob ’ s Guide Service , 530-632-0051 Bret Brady , Bare Bone ’ s Guide Service , 530-263-4451 James Netzel , Tight Lines Guide Service , 888-975-0990
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 Road
Cherokee
Grub Flat Res Littlefield Res
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
Dan Bacher , Fish Sniffer Editor , shows off a scrappy king that he caught on a trolling adventure at Lake Oroville with Captain Rob Reimers .
Photo by ROB REIMERS , Live Oak .
on , 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 2003 – and they became very popular with anglers .
However , in 2004-05 , there was a disease problem with Aquaseed broodstock ( BKD ) and CDFW fish patholo- gists 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 . 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 ,” said Rowan .
“ 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 , and 139,388 in 2015 . Kastener said the hatchery will plant around 125,000 Feather River Chinooks in Oroville this November .
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 Rustic Rob ’ s Guide Service , contact ( 530 ) 632- 0051 , www . rusticrob . com /
Trollers work the waters of Lake Oroville near the Bidwell Canyon Bridge for salmon . Photo by DAN BACHER , Fish Sniffer Staff .