Lake Oroville Update - July 3, 2025

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 has 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.   

Free Fishing Days 

If you are new to the sport of fishing and not sure if you will enjoy it, CDFW is offering free fishing days on July 5 and August 30. While all fishing regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect, the upcoming free fishing days allows anyone to fish without purchasing a fishing license. Free fishing days provide a great, low-cost way to give fishing a try.  

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. 

More information about CDFW’s free fishing day is available on their website.  

Fourth of July in Oroville 

Celebrate our nation’s independence on July 4 with a spectacular fireworks show at the Table Mountain Golf Course located at 2700 Oro Dam Blvd. W in Oroville. Gates open at 7 p.m. with the Fourth of July fireworks show beginning 30 minutes after sunset. 

To improve the firework-watching experience, the Monument Hill boat ramp at the Thermalito Afterbay will remain open until one hour after golf course fireworks end with seal checkers available to reseal vessels as they exit the water. DWR provides resources and support for this City of Oroville/Oroville Chamber of Commerce event. The Oroville Chamber of Commerce’s website has a map highlighting prime locations for fireworks viewing so you can plan ahead. 

Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee  

The Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee (ORAC) will hold a meeting on Wednesday, July 9 at 10 a.m. to provide an update on the invasive mussel inspection program for DWR’s Oroville facilities. The meeting will be held at the Southside Oroville Community Center located at 2959 Lower Wyandotte Road, Oroville, CA, 95966. 

ORAC was established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to review and provide recreation plan recommendations for Oroville Facilities owned by the Department of Water Resources (DWR). The 13-member committee is made up of representatives from state and local government, recreation groups, and business and community organizations. 

Golden Mussel Inspection Program 

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 

The Department of Water Resources (DWR), the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (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 June 28, 2025 are:    

• Spring-run Chinook salmon: 17,618 

• Steelhead: 176 

• To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org. 

Current Lake Operations 

Lake Oroville is at 886 feet elevation and storage is approximately 3.21 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 94 percent of its total capacity and 121 percent of the historical average. 

Feather River flows are at 1,200 cfs through the City of Oroville with 7,300 cfs being released from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) for a total Feather River release of 8,500 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 7/2/2025. 

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