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Folsom Lake Fishing Report | April 2026

Report by Capt. Jerry Lampkin
Jerry Lampkin runs TNG Guide Service on Folsom Lake and shares monthly Catch America reports.
What is working right now

Folsom Lake is giving up really nice rainbows in April, with the lake nearly full and water clear at about 64 degrees. Capt. Jerry Lampkin is scoring on Trigger Spoons and the Popped-Eyed spoon in watermelon. Bigger kings are starting to show, with a couple landed midweek. Clean water and no debris have the rainbows biting willingly.

What is biting at Folsom Lake right now?

Rainbow trout are the main event and running really nice. Capt. Jerry Lampkin is also starting to see a little bigger kings show up, scoring a couple on a recent Tuesday. The rainbows are willing biters with the lake full and the water in gorgeous shape.

What lures work at Folsom Lake in April?

Trigger Spoons and the Popped-Eyed spoon in watermelon are producing the nice rainbows. These are the setups Jerry leaned on through the middle of April as the lake filled and cleared.

What are the water conditions at Folsom Lake?

The lake is almost full and the water is absolutely gorgeous, about 64 degrees, nice and clear with no debris. Those clean conditions have the rainbows biting willingly and set up well for the rest of April into May.

How is Jerry catching Folsom rainbows?

Trolling the Popped-Eyed spoon in watermelon and Trigger Spoons for the willing rainbows. Exact depth and trolling speed were not specified in this report.

What is the outlook for Folsom Lake?

Jerry looks for the bite to get even better as the full lake stabilizes into May, with bigger kings expected to show more. He calls Folsom the local pond and reports a good time on the water.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. Jerry Lampkin): It's the middle of April, the lake is almost full. And we're getting a lot of really, really nice rainbows on trigger spoons and popped-eye spoon in watermelon. The lake is full right now, the water looks really good. It's about 64 degrees. It's nice and clear, there's no debris. And the rainbows are willing biters and we're starting to see a little bit bigger kings show up.

Folsom Lake April 2026 FAQ

What is biting at Folsom Lake in April 2026?

Nice rainbow trout, with a couple of bigger kings starting to show.

What lures work at Folsom Lake in April?

Trigger Spoons and the Popped-Eyed spoon in watermelon.

What is the best color at Folsom Lake right now?

Watermelon on the Popped-Eyed spoon has been producing nice rainbows.

What is the water temperature at Folsom Lake?

About 64 degrees, clear with no debris, with the lake nearly full.

How deep were the Folsom rainbows?

A specific depth was not specified in this report.

Who provided this Folsom Lake report?

Capt. Jerry Lampkin of TNG Guide Service.

Tags: folsom-lake jerry-lampkin rainbow-trout
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Sacramento River Fishing Report | August 1, 2026

Report by Capt. Jeff Goodwin Jeff Goodwin runs Jeff Goodwin Guide Service on the upper Sacramento River and is a Catch America pro-staff captain. Reach him at (530) 510-2925 to book a trip. Shop Jeff Goodwin's tackle. What is working right now The upper Sacramento River king salmon season opened August 1, 2026 at the world-famous Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. It was a slow opener with under a dozen fish caught, but Capt. Jeff Goodwin says prime fishing is only 2 to 3 weeks out. His go-to is back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on 10 ounce weights, double-wrapped with fresh sardine and wild prawn. What is biting on the upper Sacramento River right now?King salmon are the target at the Barge Hole near Anderson and Cottonwood. August 1, 2026 was the official opener, and Capt. Jeff Goodwin called it a light, slow opener with fewer than a dozen fish caught. His daughter Gracie boxed the first fish. More salmon are arriving as the run builds. What technique is working for Sacramento River king salmon?Back-bouncing Brad's KillerFish KF15 and KF16 plugs on the bottom. Jeff runs 10 ounces of weight to reach bottom in the deep water, with 12 to 18 inch droppers and about a 48 inch leader. The lead gets the plugs down where the fish hold since they will not dive that deep alone. How do you wrap plugs for Sacramento River salmon?Double-wrap the plug with fresh sardine and a piece of wild-caught prawn. Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. Start with a loose wrap that keeps the hooks free so you do not tie them to the plug body, then add a couple of wraps on top. More bait draws more bites as long as it does not kill the action. How do you tune a Brad's KillerFish plug?Wrapping bait shifts the center of gravity, so a plug that ran straight can start leaning one way. The fix is the eye: if the plug swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. Test it beside the boat until it dives straight and dances side to side. Out of tune plugs will not get bit. What does massaging the plug mean?It means keeping continuous action on the plug so it never sits dead on the bottom. Pull up on the rod to make the plug dart to one side, then drop the tip so it flutters back. Salmon often hit on that flutter, so be ready for a hard, full-on strike that takes line right away. What is the guide's outlook for the Barge Hole?Jeff says the area is about 2 to 3 weeks out from really good fishing. August, September, and October are the prime months, and a late fall run from November through the end of December produces some of the biggest fish of the season. Eggs, boondogging, and hover fishing come later in the run. Watch the full report From the report (Capt. Jeff Goodwin): One of the favorite techniques for fishing out here in the Barge Hole is to back-bounce Brad's Killerfish. Today, we're using 15s and 16s as far as the size goes. We're running 12 to 18-inch droppers, and then about a 48-inch leader. We're using 10 ounces of weight today because we've got quite a bit of water, and we let out enough line to get down to the bottom. Sacramento River August 1, 2026 FAQ When did the upper Sacramento River salmon season open in 2026?The Barge Hole area opened August 1, 2026. Jeff notes his openers have always been July 16th and August 1st, though an open river does not mean the fishing is great yet. Where is the Barge Hole?On the upper Sacramento River near Anderson and Cottonwood, California, just below where Battle Creek dumps in. Salmon stack here and hold until the first October rains, then turn up Battle Creek to Coleman National Fish Hatchery. What weight do you use to back-bounce at the Barge Hole?Jeff ran 10 ounces of weight on opening day because there was quite a bit of water, letting out enough line to stay on the bottom. What leader and dropper lengths does Jeff Goodwin use?About 12 to 18 inch droppers and roughly a 48 inch leader, sometimes into the 50s. What baits do you wrap on Brad's KillerFish plugs?Fresh sardine and wild-caught prawn are the go-to, and Jeff also wraps tuna and squid. How do you know a plug is tuned correctly?Pull it up toward the bow of the boat. If it stays alongside the boat and dances side to side while diving straight, it is tuned. If it swims to the right, turn the eye to the left. When is the best salmon fishing on the upper Sacramento River?August, September, and October are prime, and a late fall run from November through the end of December brings some of the biggest fish. The opener itself was slow, about 2 to 3 weeks from really good fishing. Who guides the upper Sacramento River Barge Hole?Capt. Jeff Goodwin of Jeff Goodwin Guide Service. Call or text (530) 510-2925 to book. Shop the Tackle Brad's KillerFish KF15 Brad's KillerFish KF16 Shop Capt. Jeff Goodwin's Tackle Shop River Salmon Gear

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San Luis Reservoir Fishing Report | July 27, 2026

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