Lake Natomas

After a few meetings and more paperwork,

we are teaming up with the Paralympic Sports Program out of Sacramento for a few events...

They will be helping with some money and resources still yet to be determine. The real good news about this is helping us to get into the mainstream of getting to vets and working with other orgs helping vets, not as easy as a task as one would think.

We are looking at the 3rd week of April and will have resources of the aquatic center, lots of tandem zest on scene already as well as a Hoyer lifts and other adaptive equipment...

This will probably be a Wednesday or Thursday of that week....

what I'm looking for here is how does this lake fish this time of year?

I've never fished it...

  More to come

Never fished it either, drive by it every day though.
I have heard some pretty good bass being pulled out of there.

I can ask a guy I know about it who fishes there religiously.

If you do it there count me and my kayaks in.

Ryan

the lake fishes the same every time of year - terribly

Lake Natoma is an enigma.

Monster size (state record) rainbow trout the size of king salmon. Monster size (state record) green sunfish (where Folsom South Canal leaves lake).

Lake Natoma is difficult. Seems the fish are incredibly well fed.

Sure is a pretty lake and it does have great kayaking.

I'm sure there are a few fishermen who have figured it out - just not me 

Lake Natomas is a nice place to get an upper body work out in your kayaks. Fishingwise, I've heard tall tales but have not seen anybody pulling fish out of the place. In April, water temperature is around 50 F. I swim here often.

Don - Natoma is not a great place to get folks on fish.  Is Folsom an option if your thinking Sac area?  Otherwise Clear Lake or Berryessa might be better options that time of year.  Just a few thoughts.

Don - Natoma is not a great place to get folks on fish.  Is Folsom an option if your thinking Sac area?  Otherwise Clear Lake or Berryessa might be better options that time of year.  Just a few thoughts.

Copy and we will just have to make do with this one as it is a co-event with the Paralympic program and as we get this thing going, we also have to take into consideration of how far the wounded vets have to travel...

 this lake Natoma gig is all about working with the Paralympic folks and starting to pull our resources for bigger things in the future...

Interesting is we have been at a private bass pond, twice, del valle and fishing has been anything but stellar... would not surprise me if we went in with no expectations and nailed it...   


 Thanks for the input and I would like to do something at both those lakes

Is it possible to request a trout plant from the DFG? Something similar  to the Fishing in the City program.

i'd be happy to show up to this event either way, especially if its midweek and you can sign my volunteer form to play hooky

you know i've heard there is great crawfishing there...

Is it possible to request a trout plant from the DFG? Something similar  to the Fishing in the City program.

I could try, all they can say is no...

 

you can try but they will say no...DFG hasnt planted that lake in many years, there supposedly are concerns that the fish will wash down into the AR watershed and mix with the natural steelie genepool.

thats one of the reasons fishing there is so poor, dfg hasnt stocked the lake since forever.

you can try but they will say no...DFG hasnt planted that lake in many years, there supposedly are concerns that the fish will wash down into the AR watershed and mix with the natural steelie genepool.

thats one of the reasons fishing there is so poor, dfg hasnt stocked the lake since forever.

Thanks, my list of things I have to do with all this stuff is so long right now, I really don't need too waste time on futile efforts...

  Thanks Again

I fish Natoma about once every two weeks year round.  The lake is a trophy fishery, but it is a tough nut to crack and even when you figure it out the fish are few and far between.  In April the lake will be cold and the bass bite will be slower than Folsom and other lakes in prespawn. 

I don't think DFG will do a special trout plant in Natoma.  DFG wants a low trout density in Natoma, because Lake Natoma feeds the nimbus hatchery.  High trout density in Natoma = AR&Nimbus hatchery steelhead and salmon are more at risk for parasites/disease.

On the plus side, Lake Natoma is a great place to enjoy a day on the water.  It doesn't get reservoir ring like the other lakes, it has a 5mph speedlimit, it is family friendly,  there are a few sloughs that are fun to explore, and if you catch a fish there is a good chance that it will be big.  Last year I pulled a 19.5 inch spot and a 20inch chromed trout out on the same day.

For your viewing pleasure, here are some of my Natoma fish from 2011:

Rob and I have been scouting Natoma extensively over the past two weeks.  We have caught a handful of trout between 16-20 inches, a few 20-24inchers and two 24+inchers (one weighed around 10lb), a few spotted bass (12-16 inch), and 1 16 inch smallmouth.  We have a parts of the lake pretty dialed in, but I think we need a few more trips to figure out the CSUS aquatic center area.  If this event is gonna happen, then I want to do my damnedest to put these vets on some trophy fish.

I also made friends with a guy that frequently takes his pontoon boat to Natoma.  He was open to the idea of having some of the vets fish from his boat, or mother-shipping 2 kayaks to some of the more fishy spots.

Thanks Auburn trout dude...

stand by, as I'm working with the warrior transition unit right now as they get ready for a " muster " 2nd week of May,  May 11th actually might be our date and not exactly sure where we are going be, but Natomas might be a good bet...

  Thanks