Lake Oroville Update - July 11, 2025

Craig Saddle Boat-in Campground Reopens

The California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) has reopened the Craig Saddle Boat-in Campground at the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area (LOSRA). Nearly five years ago, the deadly North Complex Fire burned more than 318,000 acres in Plumas and Butte Counties. Multiple communities sustained catastrophic damage, and the landscape across much of the east side of Lake Oroville, including the Craig Recreation Area of LOSRA, experienced high-severity wildfire. In 2022, State Parks developed the Craig Saddle Fuel Reduction and Restoration Project, and work began in Spring of 2023.

The project rehabilitated the landscape adjacent to Craig Access Road within the LOSRA boundaries and restored the boat-in campground area through removal of dead, burned trees and vegetation. Approximately 7.7 acres of the boat-in campground will continue to be treated for long-term restoration to re-establish native trees, shrubs, and grasses to enhance habitat and improve watershed function.

Though the landscape looks different, this campground still offers serene views and beautiful wildlife, cool breezes, and amazing swimming. Please be aware that restoration efforts are still ongoing and State Parks asks that everyone respects the healing of the natural space that the campground occupies.

Lake Oroville SRA offers several options for adventurous campers seeking a more rustic experience at boat-in only campgrounds. In addition to the 18 sites at Craig Saddle, visitors may instead choose to enjoy Foreman Creek, Bloomer Point, or Bloomer Knoll boat-in campgrounds which accommodate up to eight guests per campsite, and Bloomer Group Campground which accommodates larger parties of up to 75 people. Boat-in campgrounds are ONLY accessible by boat and are open year-round.  

Guests can register for boat-in camping at the Loafer Creek, Bidwell Canyon, Spillway, and Lime Saddle entrance stations. These sites are available on a first come, first served basis and are not on the online camping reservations system. Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring, with vault style toilets nearby. Please be advised that during low water levels, campsites may be a significant distance from the shoreline. Visit www.parks.ca.gov/lakeoroville for more information and local updates.

Tagging Operations Complete for Season at Hatchery  

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) have completed adult spring-run Chinook salmon brood stock Hallprint tagging operations at the Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville. Approximately 7,919 spring-run were tagged this season, which helps staff track the success of Hatchery operations and improve fish population management. 

In addition to tagging operations, DWR and CDFW continued thiamine treatments to combat ongoing B1 vitamin deficiencies in Chinook salmon. This treatment improves the health of the fish, increasing the survival of Chinook salmon from egg to juvenile. DWR and CDFW continue to meet and exceed Hatchery production goals for Chinook salmon, even with recent drought impacts. This spring, DWR’s Feather River Fish Monitoring Station counted more than 17,000 spring-run Chinook salmon returning to spawn this year, the best return since 2013. 

At the conclusion of adult spring-run tagging operations and with the routine closure of the Hatchery fish ladder, DWR and CDFW have begun annual summer maintenance activities at the Hatchery. This includes cleaning the fish ladder and raceways and performing regular maintenance on equipment to ensure its continued operation. The fish ladder will reopen in September with the start of spawning activities for both spring-run and fall-run Chinook salmon. 

Golden Mussel Inspection Program

DWR is reminding watercraft owners to bring their vessel’s keys with them for the invasive mussel inspection at the North Thermalito Forebay. Vessels must also have a working battery and be operational to complete and pass required inspections.

More details about DWR’s mussel inspection program are available at water.ca.gov/mussels.

Watercraft Inspection Location/Decontamination Services

North Thermalito Forebay at Garden Drive and HWY 70 in Oroville 

Hours of operation: Daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Sealed Vessel Launching 

Lake Oroville

Ramp hours: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.  

• Spillway  
• Bidwell Canyon

Extended Ramp hours: Daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.  

• Lime Saddle
• Loafer Creek

Thermalito Afterbay 

Ramp hours: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to one hour after sunset

• Monument Hill

Thermalito Forebay

Ramp Hours: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

• North Forebay (Non-motorized vessels only)

Oroville Recreation

Lake Oroville is one of the State Water Project’s premier recreational destinations and one of California’s best fishing spots. The lake provides both warm-water and cold-water fisheries. Below the Oroville Dam, the Thermalito Forebay, Thermalito Afterbay, and the Feather River offer additional excellent fishing opportunities for Chinook salmon and steelhead. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services including a convenience store, gas, boat rentals, and more.

DWR, State Parks, and CDFW maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. An interactive map of recreation facilities, including open trails and their permitted uses (hike, bike, horse, multi), is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. A paper trail map is available at various locations, including most entrance kiosks and the Lake Oroville Visitor Center.   

Between Jan. 30 and April 20, high flows in the Feather River required the temporary removal of fish monitoring equipment resulting in lower spring-run estimates. Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and July 6, 2025 are:  

• Spring-run Chinook salmon (April 16 through June 30): 17,664
• Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 123
• Steelhead: 185
• To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.

Current Lake Operations

Lake Oroville is at 876 feet elevation and storage is approximately 3.06 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 89 percent of its total capacity and 119 percent of the historical average.

Feather River flows are at 1,200 cfs through the City of Oroville with 6,800 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 8,000 cfs downstream. DWR continues to assess Feather River releases daily. 

The public can track precipitation, snow, reservoir levels, and more at the California Data Exchange Center. The Lake Oroville gage station is identified as “ORO.”

All data as of 11:59 p.m. on 7/10/2025.