Can I Fish From a Power Boat Below the Feather River Fish Hatchery?

April 23, 2020

Question: I have been fishing the Feather River in downtown Oroville just below the Feather River Fish hatchery for years. I was under the impression you couldn’t use a motorized boat to fish that section. However, I have been seeing a lot of motorized boats fishing that area recently, and I can’t find any regulations on this. Can you take a motorized boat up the river below the hatchery? (Michael)

Answer: There are no laws prohibiting the use of motorized boats on the Feather River below the hatchery. In fact, you will often see CDFW employees and California Department of Water Resources employees out on motorized boats doing various work on that portion of the Feather River.

With regard to fishing, you’ll want to make sure you are fishing for a legal species during its open season. Please note that the section of the Feather River closest to the hatchery – from the Fish Barrier Dam down to the Table Mountain bicycle bridge – is closed to fishing all year.