Lake Oroville Update - July 10, 2026

Explore the Lime Saddle Recreation Area

Just a short drive from the town of Paradise, the Lime Saddle Recreation Area is located along the western shoreline of the North Fork of Lake Oroville and accessible from Pentz Road. The boat ramp and day use area features picnic tables, sun shelters, ADA accessible flush toilets, and trash receptacles. A five-lane boat ramp provides access to Lake Oroville with two lanes extending down to 702 feet for lower water access. At the top of the boat ramp, a parking lot provides ample vehicle and trailer parking with ADA designated spots. In addition, the Lime Saddle Marina offers supplies, gas for boats, and boat rentals so you can enjoy a day on the lake.

The Lime Saddle Campground Area features 50 total campsites with 44 individual campsites (28 car/tent sites and 16 RV sites with full hookups). Each campsite features a picnic table and fire ring with grill. Bathroom facilities offer flush toilets and showers for visitors. The Lime Saddle Group Campground features two group campsites (six individual sites) with shade structures, multiple picnic tables, trash receptacles, a large barbecue, and a water fountain with spigot. Three of the sites at this facility are ADA accessible with the central restroom/shower building also offering ADA accommodations.

Summer is a good time for a hiking or biking trip along the Lime Saddle Trail featuring scenic views of the reservoir. The 1.73-mile trail is accessible from Lime Saddle Recreation Road (marina access road) and routes visitors north before ending at the Lime Saddle Group Campground

Wildlife Safety at State Recreation Areas

The California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) and Department of Water Resources (DWR) are reminding visitors to be aware while enjoying the beautiful resources the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area (LOSRA) has to offer. While LOSRA offers overnight camping opportunities and miles of recreation trails, it is also an area where wildlife, including bears, live.

Resident wildlife species around Lake Oroville include mountain lions, raccoons, turkeys, opossums, coyotes, tree and ground squirrels, rabbits, deer, skunks, ringtails, bears, and many kinds of native birds. Remember to admire from afar when viewing wildlife. Wildlife can be viewed from a distance using binoculars, spotting scopes, or the zoom function on a camera. Keep hands and snacks to yourself as eating human foods can make animals sick or malnourished. In addition, animals who are continually fed can lose their fear of humans and become aggressive.

Visitors should remain vigilant and know how to respond if they encounter a bear. Stay calm, pick up small children, never approach bear cubs, make yourself appear as large as possible, and slowly back away while giving the bear plenty of space. Never run, as running may trigger a bear's natural chase instinct. Store all food and scented items in locked vehicles or bear-resistant containers to help keep both people and wildlife safe. For more bear safety tips, visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) website.

State Parks also reminds visitors that dogs are not allowed on most trails and day-use areas within LOSRA. When in an area that does permit dogs, they must be kept on a leash no longer than six feet and always remain under the immediate control of a person.

Feather River Fish Monitoring Station

DWR resumed operations of the Feather River fish monitoring station on March 4, 2026, to capture the return of spring-run Chinook salmon. Monitoring was temporarily suspended at the end of December 2025 due to anticipated high flows in the Feather River. Upstream migrating fish totals between March 4 and July 6, 2026, are:  

• Spring-run Chinook salmon (March 4 through June 30): 8,475
• Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 239
• Steelhead: -18 (most likely kelts moving downstream)
• To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.

Current Lake Operations

Lake Oroville is at 865 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.91 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 85 percent of its total capacity and 112 percent of the historical average.

Feather River flows are at 850 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with releases from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet at 7,150 cfs 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 7/9/2026.