Folsom Lake Fishing Report

Folsom’s a mixed bag right now, but there’s action. Bass have fully pulled off the bank and are holding around bluff walls and offshore rockpiles in 15 to 25 feet. There’s a short topwater window early, but after that it’s all finesse... drop-shot plastics and Senkos are the go-tos. The bass bite is fair overall.

For trout and salmon, early morning is key. The bite’s been strongest before 9am, with rainbows and kings hitting hoochies paired with 8” flashers, run 40 to 50 feet down. After that, things slow down fast, and fish get scattered. There’s little bait showing shallow... what’s there seems to be tight to bottom around 80-100 feet. Kings are short-striking often, but some solid fish to 25 inches are still being caught.

Folsom is about to shut down for all trailered and motorized boats from April 14 to May 13 due to golden mussel prevention efforts. Everything with a trailer is going to need a 30-day quarantine and inspection, with seals being issued at Beals Point starting the 14th. It’s a frustrating time for a closure, because the bite is heating up fast.

Bass have finally kicked into full gear. Warming temps are pushing fish up in the water column as they stage on the outside of coves, getting ready to spawn. A recent kayak tournament had an astounding winning limit of 97.50 inches... so there are plenty of big fish to be caught right now. Crankbaits, lipless, and jerkbaits are pulling fish in the staging zones, while dropshots, shakey heads, and jigs are doing work on the ones already moved into the shallows.

Trout action isn’t bad either, despite the last plant being back in mid-March. Shore anglers are still picking off decent numbers with PowerBait and inflated crawlers. Trollers are staying deep... 50 to 60 feet... finding quality holdover trout and the occasional king salmon on spoons.