Folsom Lake Fishing

Your Next Family Fishing Adventure Awaits!

Folsom Lake is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills, 25 miles east of Sacramento. The lake can be reached from either Highway 50 or I-80. It has many access points and entrances. The administrative offices are located at the base of the Dam at the corner of Folsom Auburn Road and Dam Road in Folsom, California. The lake offers fishing, biking, running, camping, picnicking, horseback riding, water skiing, and boating. Folsom Lake is surrounded by restaurants, motels, and everything else that comes along with a medium sized city. This lake has a very unique bottom, with various rock piles, anchored groupings of Christmas trees, and barely submerged islands, so be careful not to dive into the lake head first. The park has multiple entrances most of which are fairly easily accessed by either Interstate 80 to Douglas Blvd. going east, or Highway 50 to Hazel Ave., or Folsom Blvd., (north), as well as Highway 50 to El Dorado Hills Blvd to Green Valley Road. Click here for an article on Using Mini Jigs to Catch Monster Trout

Folsom Lake Webcam

Want a view of Folsom Lake? Click here for the Folsom Lake Marina Webcams.

Folsom Lake Information from the California State Parks Website

Visit this site for more information: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=500

Folsom Lake Launch Ramps

Click here for Folsom Lake launch ramp information provided by the Folsom Lake Marina.

Camping at Folsom Lake

There are 191 sites for tent and RV at various locations around Folsom lake. For more information, and to make reservations, visit the Reserve California Website.

Directions to the Folsom Lake Peninsula Campground

80 east Reno - From Hwy 80 take the Elm St. exit out of the city of Auburn, at the 1st light make a left, at your very next light you will make another left that is High St. High St turns into Hwy 49 you will travel on Hwy 49 for 10 miles towards the city of Cool. You will enter a small town called Pilot Hill from that small town you will turn right on Rattlesnake Bar Rd. that road will dead end into the campground in 9 miles. Hwy 50 South Lake Tahoe - From Hwy 50 you will take the El Dorado Hills Blvd. exit go north on El Dorado hills for about 10 miles (at some point the road changes names to Salmon Falls Rd.) you will enter the small town of Pilot Hill you will make a left on Rattlesnake Bar Rd. which dead ends onto the campground in 9 miles.

Directions to the Folsom Lake Point Campground

80 east Reno - From Hwy 80 you will take the Douglas Blvd. exit out of the city of Roseville. Go east on Douglas for about 6 miles make a right on Auburn-Folsom Rd. go about 2 ½ miles until you come to a stop light the sign will say Beals Point and you make a left. Hwy 50 South Lake Tahoe - Take the Folsom Blvd. exit go north on Folsom for about 7 miles (the road will change names to Folsom-Auburn) you will come to a stop light, the sign will say Beals Point and you make a right.

Boating on Folsom Lake

• All boating allowed • Full service marina • 5 boat ramps

Folsom Lake Fish Species

• Rainbow Trout • Brown Trout • Kokanee King Salmon • Carp • Catfish • Bluegill • Crappie • Largemouth Bass • Smallmouth Bass • Spotted Bass • Perch

How To Catch Fish On Folsom Lake

Folsom has been kicking out some very nice rainbow trout with a few king salmon in the mix for some lucky anglers. The trout are very impressive on Folsom Lake, with reports coming in of numerous fish being caught in the 3 to 4 pound range. Boat based anglers have been doing very well with spoons, F5 and F8 rapala's, flies, streamers, and apex's. Trolling in the top 15 feet of water for the trout and up to 35 feet deep for the king salmon works well for most of the cold and cooler months. For the warmer months, the trout can be found in the 25 feet depths, and the kings tend to head down to 75 feet and deeper. The kings have been hit and miss but the ones that we have seen came on spoons and rolled shad. Shore based anglers have scored good numbers with some reporting limits. Crawlers, chartreuse with glitter power bait and live minnows seem to be the bait of choice.

Rainbow Trout Fishing on Folsom Lake

Rainbow trout are regularly planted in folsom lake. They can be caught both from shore or from a boat. From the shore trout can be caught on power bait, mini crawlers, spoons, needlefish, kastmasters. From a boat the best bet is trolling with spoons, F5 and F8 Rapala’s, flies, streamers, and Apex. Trolling should be done in the top 15 feet of water in the cooler months, and down around 25 feet in warmer months.

King Salmon Fishing on Folsom Lake

Landlocked King Salmon can be caught by the same techniques and in the same spots as most expert bass fishermen use on the lake. Fishing with worms or minnows with a drop shot rig about 25 feet of the steep high edges in 25 feet of water will do the trick. You can also do well trolling in 35 feet of water in the cooler months and 75 feet of water in the warmer months. The best bets for trolling for Kings would be to use an apex kokanee lure (two red hooks) tipped with salted anchovy’s. Spoons also work well, and stickbaits.

Catfish Fishing on Folsom Lake

Catfish can be found in the coves and the rocks. Chicken livers, sardines, clams, catfish bait, and mini crawlers will do the trick.

Bass Fishing on Folsom Lake

Spotted Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and Largemouth bass are abundant in Folsom Lake. Fishing in 25 feet of water, about 25 feet off of the steep shore lines, and in and around the bushes and trees in the coves would be a great place to start. Drop shotting worms and live minnows will be the best bet. They are also regularly caught trolling along the same depths along the shoreline and around the islands within the lake with stickbaits.

Panfish Fishing on Folsom Lake

Bluegill, Crappie, and Perch can be caught around submerged vegetation and under water structures using worms, crickets, live minnows, jigs, fly’s, small soft plastics, and small spinners and spinnerbaits will work best.

Kokanee Fishing on Folsom Lake

Kokanee are hard to find in Folsom Lake. Trolling with a light dodger and shrimp fly in bright colors with a snubber to prevent long distance releases. Some like to tip the hook with a powerbait corn niblet. Don’t set the hook and don’t stop reeling until they are in the boat! Visit the Folsom Lake Marina Website for more information at http://www.folsomlakemarina.com/ Folsom Lake is regularly planted with Rainbow Trout and on good years, they plant King Salmon fingerlings to keep the King fishery growing. The latest fish plant information can be found at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website.

Folsom Lake - Located in Folsom, CA

View of Folsom Lake Dam

View of Folsom Point and Mormon Island on Folsom Lake