Report- [powerboat] Oroville King Salmon 6/4

Lots of good landlocked King Salmon action in a number of lakes the last few months.  I’ve been reading a lot of reports about some real hogs being picked up in Oroville (and recently Don Pedro too).

I fished Oroville from my Outback once in Feb and again in March, landing a few nice ones each trip. For those expeditions, I launched out of the spillway launch and had to wait till 6 am to get through the CHP checkpoints. Since we had later sunrises at that time, the 6 am launch wasn’t a problem. I fished around 50’ down on the DR using homemade shad pattern willow blade spoons behind large sling blade style dodgers (chrome/green). 2 fish landed at the dam, 2 fish landed on the East Wall (northeast of Spillway launch)

This trip was with my dad. We launched Bidwell canyon to avoid delays with the checkpoints if they are even still going (not sure). We went straight to the East Wall and trolled a varieity of hootchies with smiley blades and spoons behind sling blades between 35’-80’. First and only fish was landed after a move to the dam. She took a white hootchie with chrome smiley blade 20” behind a large chrome/green sling blade. It taped to 23 1/2 inches and was just shy of 5 lbs. A really hard fighting fish!

That was it for us, but many other boats out there limited. The fish are there if you want to go hunting. The green bridge (hwy 162) is a good spot although a little bit of a paddle from Bidwell. Bidwell point, the dam area, East Wall, and up north near lime saddle are all producing fish. Depths ranged from 45’-120’ from what I heard and read other boats did the same day. 

If you live closer to Don Pedro, try the Jenkins hill area and rolling shad about 100’ down. They are picking up some fatties! Good luck, would love to see some reports on this!

Nice report!

I didn't realize there are king salmon in Oroville.  I'd thought they stocked coho there...

Very nice. I got to give oroville a shot someday..have not been there since a kid

Thanks for the info.  I used to fish Oroville for Coho's until they stopped planting them  . I'm glad to hear the Kings are doing so well.  I will plan a trip up there. 

Kings since 2013, same ones from the feather river hatchery that go into the river systems and head for the Ocean.

Can’t wait to try the diversion pool for them, they should get enormous in the DP thanks to the near constant stream of stunned and dead pond smelt pouring from the dam outflow.

Thanks for the great report and pictures ML.

Great info!