Lake Oroville Fishing
Butte County, CDFW North Central Region, 15,378 acres.
- 10launches
- 15,378acres
- 900 ftelevation
Photo: Bob n Renee, CC BY 2.0
Fishing Lake Oroville in California
Lake Oroville sits in Butte County; CDFW lists the lake in its North Central Region. CDFW prints a size of 15,378 acres. Elevation: about 900 feet. The closest city with services is Oroville, roughly 10 miles off. Full, it stores 3,537,577 acre-feet behind Oroville Dam on Feather River.
CDFW flags black bass, catfish, sunfish and crappie, hatchery trout and kokanee and inland salmon for this water. DBW, USFS and OpenStreetMap records show 10 mapped launches, 6 of them named. The 2026 stocking plan lists fingerling chinook salmon for this water. Facilities flagged by CDFW: fuel.
Putting a boat on Lake Oroville
- Lake Oroville Marina (Lime Saddle Marina)2 lanes, 300 trailer spaces, restrooms, California Department of Parks and Recreation
- Lake Oroville SRA (Bidwell Canyon)6 lanes, 350 trailer spaces, restrooms, California Department of Parks and Recreation
- Lake Oroville SRA (Enterprise Area)boat launch
- Lake Oroville SRA (Lime Saddle)marina launch, California Department of Parks and Recreation
- Lake Oroville SRA (Loafer Creek Boat Ramp)6 lanes, 400 trailer spaces, restrooms, California Department of Parks and Recreation
- Lake Oroville SRA (Spillway)10 lanes, 375 trailer spaces, restrooms, California Department of Parks and Recreation
- Boat launch, Lake Orovilleboat launch
- Boat launch, Lake Orovilleboat launch
- Boat launch, Lake Orovilleboat launch
- Boat launch, Lake Orovilleboat launch
Nearest launches to Lake Oroville
- North Forebay Aquatic CenterThermalito Forebay-North, 8 miles southwest
- Thermalito South ForebayThermalito Forebay-South, 10 miles southwest
- Feather River BLFFeather River, 14 miles southwest
Ramp jurisdiction at Lake Oroville: California Department of Parks and Recreation (5).
DBW Boating Facilities, USFS recreation sites and OpenStreetMap slipways, checked October 2026.
How full Lake Oroville is
CDEC station ORO (CA Dept of Water Resources/O&M Oroville Field Division), reading dated 2026-10-09. Station page with the live chart.
Fish you can target at Lake Oroville
CDFW Fishing Guide species flags; CDFW publishes no fuller species list for most waters.
Fish trucks at Lake Oroville
| Species | Size | Program | Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook Salmon | Fingerling | Put and Grow | April-June |
CDFW Fish Planting Schedule and the 2026 Provisional Stocking Document. California trout stocking.
Lake Oroville regulations
Nothing beyond the statewide lake limits applies on Lake Oroville.
| Species | Daily bag | Size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black bass | 5 a day | 12 in minimum | All year |
| Trout | 5 a day | none | All year |
| Striped bass | 2 a day | 18 in minimum | All year except closures in special regulations |
| Sunfish and crappie | 25 a day | none | All year, except closures under district or special regulations |
| Catfish | no limit | none | All year, except closures under special regulations |
| Kokanee and inland salmon | 5 a day | none | All year |
The sport fishing district for Lake Oroville is the Valley District.
CDFW 2026 Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations, checked October 2026. All California limits.
Lake Oroville tournament dates
See the Lake Oroville tournament page for upcoming dates.
Lakes close to Lake Oroville, side by side
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation (ft) | Launches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Oroville | 15,378 | 900 | 10 | |
| Thermalito Diversion Pool | 6 miles south | 226 | 0 | |
| Okizu Camp Pond | 7 miles east | 3.4 | 2,390 | 0 |
| Bedrock Park Pond | 9 miles southwest | 1.5 | 137 | 0 |
| Thermalito Forebay | 10 miles southwest | 563 | 225 | 3 |
| Paradise Park Pond | 11 miles northwest | 0.5 | 1,681 | 0 |
Outside Lake Oroville
Neighbor lakes to Lake Oroville
- Thermalito Diversion Pool6 miles south
- Okizu Camp Pond7 miles east
- Bedrock Park Pond9 miles southwest
- Thermalito Forebay10 miles southwest
- Paradise Park Pond11 miles northwest
Shops a short drive from Lake Oroville
- Reelsnmorebait and tackle shop, Oroville, 7 miles
- Feather River Fish Hatcherybait and tackle shop, Butte, 8 miles
- Frank's Beaconbait and tackle shop, Oroville, 8 miles
- North Valley Tackle & Pro Shopbait and tackle shop, Oroville, 9 miles
- Big 5 Sporting Goods #362sporting goods store, Oroville, 9 miles
- Oroville Outdoorsbait and tackle shop, Oroville, 10 miles
Get a license near Lake Oroville
- Lakeside Market and Gaslicense agent, 9 miles
- Maverik, Inc. #640license agent, 10 miles
- Golden Feather Market Placelicense agent, 10 miles
Closest communities to Lake Oroville
- Oroville10 miles
- Paradise11 miles
- Chico20 miles
Which counties Lake Oroville touches
- Butte Countyseat: Oroville
Lake Oroville: what people ask
Which California county contains Lake Oroville?
It lies in Butte County, about 10 miles from Oroville.
What is the surface area of Lake Oroville?
Roughly 15,378 acres.
Does Lake Oroville have a launch ramp on its shore?
10 launches on file; Lake Oroville SRA (Spillway) is one.
What bites at Lake Oroville?
Flags on file: black bass, catfish, sunfish and crappie, hatchery trout and kokanee and inland salmon.
Does CDFW stock Lake Oroville?
CDFW plans Chinook Salmon for 2026.
What are the bag limits at Lake Oroville?
Statewide limits, with no extra rule.
Does Lake Oroville call for a California license?
Anglers 16 and older need one ($64.54 resident).
Where can I check Lake Oroville levels?
Above: the CDEC figure.
Where is bait sold near Lake Oroville?
The nearest listing is Reelsnmore (7 miles).
Make the drive to Lake Oroville
Limits and license fees are one click away.