Folsom Lake
Sacramento foothills · near Folsom / Sacramento · Gold Country & Central Valley
Fishing
At a glance
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Best season
- Bass spring–fall · trout/salmon trolling cool months
Permits and booking
- Licence required
- Yes
- Licence detail
- CA license (16+) required. Folsom, minutes from Sacramento, is a popular foothill reservoir for bass and trolled trout/landlocked salmon. Water levels fluctuate; several launches. Busy with recreation in summer.
What is here
- Features
- Sacramento's backyard reservoir · Bass, trout & landlocked salmon · Easy foothill access · Great early-season bass
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Fishing detail
- Water type
- lake
- Water
- fresh
- Methods
- Casting · Trolling · Bait
- Boat
- both
- Target species
- Spotted & largemouth bass · Rainbow trout · King salmon (landlocked) · Catfish & crappie
- Intl tip
- License required. Bass around the rocky structure (spring is prime); troll for trout and landlocked salmon in the cooler months. It's busy with boats and swimmers in summer — fish early. Water levels vary. Combine with the American River and gold-country trails. Close to Sacramento.
The guide
Folsom Lake, cradled in the Sierra foothills minutes from Sacramento, is the capital region's go-to reservoir — a versatile fis…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Folsom Lake — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 38.71, -121.15