Folsom Lake Fishing Report

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.

Folsom Lake’s king salmon bite is heating up, with fish showing up in front of the dam and holding 45 to 60 feet down. Trollers are dialing in with cut plugs or hoochies paired with flashers. Rainbows are also in the mix, sitting shallower between 15 and 30 feet, hitting small spoons and spinners. Bass fishing has been hit-or-miss, with some anglers grinding it out in deeper water on swimbaits, jerkbaits, or drop-shot rigs, but the warming trend should push more fish into the shallows soon. The lake has risen fast, lifting the 5 MPH restriction, but floating debris is still a factor. Water temps are creeping up from the high 40s on the main lake to the high 50s up the arms.