Lake Oroville: A Water Wonder

The lake con­tains 167 miles of shore­line, pro­vid­ing plen­ty of seclud­ed coves and beach­es for swim­mers, snorkel­ers and pic­nick­ers, as well as adven­tur­ous boaters and fish­er­men to explore. The reser­voir is also home to incred­i­ble house boat­ing, water­ski­ing, pad­dle board­ing and kayak­ing. Explore the upper arm of the reser­voir to catch a view of 410-foot Feath­er Falls.

Look­ing to launch? Find the sta­tus of the launch ramps here.

Nation­al­ly renowned for its supreme bass fish­ing, Bass­mas­ter Mag­a­zine called Lake Oroville the ​“best bass fish­ing spot in Cal­i­for­nia.” In addi­tion to both large­mouth and small­mouth bass, the lake is also home to Chi­nook salmon, cat­fish, mack­i­naw, stur­geon, white crap­pie, rain­bow and brown trout. Fish­ing is open all year but a Cal­i­for­nia sport fish­ing license is required. Check at the park for ​“slot lim­it” reg­u­la­tions for black bass.

Look­ing to keep clos­er to shore? South­west of the lake, the North Fore­bay fea­tures a day-use area with pic­nic tables, a swim­ming beach, and calm waters per­fect for sail­boats, canoes, and kayaks, which you can rent at the near­by Fore­bay Aquat­ic Cen­ter.

If you’ve nev­er explored its shores, you’re miss­ing out on miles of well-groomed easy and mod­er­ate hik­ing trails around Lake Oroville, many of which have lake views and are eques­tri­an-friend­ly (check out the horse camp­grounds at Loafer Creek!). Many of the trails con­nect to the var­i­ous camp­grounds around the lake, so you can explore dur­ing the day and return direct­ly to your tent in the evening.

And if want to learn more about the lake, the dam that cre­ates it, their influ­ence and impact on the city and Sacra­men­to Val­ley, and more, a vis­it to the Lake Oroville Vis­i­tor Cen­ter is a must.