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Folsom Lake Fishing Report | March 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

The Folsom Lake rainbow bite has been epic in March, with a crazy-good topwater window in the top 15 feet. Capt. Jerry Lampkin is toplining the Popped-Eyed spoon in watermelon around 10 to 15 feet and killing it on Trigger Spoons in watermelon. Kings remain a mystery with only one or two small ones. Get out on calm days between the wind.

What is biting at Folsom Lake right now?

Rainbow trout, and the bite has been epic. Capt. Jerry Lampkin reports the last two weeks were crazy good, with a strong topwater window in the top 15 feet. Kings are still a mystery, with just one or two little ones coming.

How deep are the Folsom rainbows in March?

Right up top. The topwater bite in the upper 15 feet has been excellent, with the watermelon Popped-Eyed spoon working at about 10 to 15 feet deep. Toplining shallow is the play right now.

What lures and colors work at Folsom in March?

Watermelon is the color. Jerry is toplining a Popped-Eyed spoon in watermelon at 10 to 15 feet and crushing fish on Trigger Spoons in watermelon. He is also toplining Rapalas up top.

What are the conditions at Folsom Lake?

The lake sits around 430 feet and has come up at least 10 feet in two days. A strong Northwest wind was making the lake nearly unfishable on report day, so Jerry tucked into a cove. Look for calmer days to fish the shallow bite.

What is the outlook for Folsom Lake?

Jerry expects the trout bite to really kick off once the lake level and weather stabilize heading into April. He is still searching for the kings, which have not shown in numbers like a couple of years ago.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. Jerry Lampkin): The last two weeks have just been epic on the rainbow trout bite. Top water bite in the top 15 feet has just been crazy good. Toplining Rapalas and watermelon Pop-Eye spoon has just been killing it at about 10 to 15 feet deep. Trigger spoons have just been killing it in watermelon. Still searching for those Kings. We're getting one or two little ones.

Folsom Lake March 2026 FAQ

What is the Folsom Lake bite in March 2026?

An epic rainbow trout bite, with a crazy-good topwater window in the top 15 feet.

How deep are the Folsom rainbows in March?

In the top 15 feet, with the watermelon spoon working about 10 to 15 feet down.

What color works best at Folsom in March?

Watermelon, on both the Popped-Eyed spoon and Trigger Spoons.

What is the lake level at Folsom Lake?

Around 430 feet, having come up at least 10 feet in two days.

Are the kings biting at Folsom Lake?

Not really. Only one or two little ones, with their location a mystery.

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

Report by Capt. Roger George Roger George runs Roger George Guide Service and is the exclusive guide on San Luis Reservoir. Reach him at (559) 905-2954 to book a trip. What is working right now San Luis Reservoir is fishing up and down in late July 2026 as heavy wind stirs algae and holds the water temperature at 71 degrees. Capt. Roger George is trolling the main lake flats in 60 to 80 feet of water at 2.2 to 2.4 mph, running lures 120 to 140 feet behind the boat. White belly and chartreuse are the top colors. One recent trip landed fish of 14, 21, and 27 pounds. What is biting at San Luis Reservoir right now?The bite is up and down as constant wind churns the lake. Capt. Roger George had an epic recent trip with guest Bob McGill, landing fish of 14, 21, and 27 pounds, then a tough follow-up trip. Big fish are still figuring out where the bait has moved. The report did not name a specific target species. What depth are the fish holding at San Luis Reservoir in late July?Roger is fishing the main lake flats that run about 70 feet deep, trolling in water 60 to 80 feet deep. As the surface warms toward 80 degrees over the next week, expect fish to slide deeper, likely down to 70 to 80 feet. Watch your sonar daily since depth shifts with wind and overcast. What lure colors are working at San Luis Reservoir?White belly patterns are helping out right now, and chartreuse is producing as well. Colors can change day to day with the wind and light, so Roger's rule is to let the fish tell you what they want rather than committing to one pattern. Specific lure models were not named in this report. How is Roger George rigging and trolling at San Luis Reservoir?He is trolling 2.2 to 2.4 mph and letting lures back 120, 130, and 140 feet behind the boat, running through water 60 to 80 feet deep on the main lake flats. He leans on his sonar to find the depth fish are holding at and whether they are active before committing to a zone. What are conditions like at San Luis Reservoir?The lake is holding stable near 50 percent, with water being pumped in and out, which stirs in grass, debris, and algae. Water temperature is only 71 degrees, well below normal. Heavy wind is the biggest factor, and shore anglers have been doing a little better than boaters because wind limits boat time. What is the guide's outlook for San Luis Reservoir?Roger expects temperatures to rise toward 80 degrees over the next week, which should move fish deeper and change the pattern again. His forecast is decent fishing coming up if you can handle the summer heat. Water clarity beyond the algae mixing was not specified in this report. Watch the full report From the report (Capt. Roger George): We're running 2.2, 2.4 mph and we're putting back 120, 130, 140 ft behind the boat and running it in water that's like 60 to 80 ft deep. White bellies right now seem to be helping out. Chartreuse is working as well as the white, but that could change tomorrow. Once again, let the fish tell you what's happening. San Luis Reservoir July 27, 2026 FAQ What is the water temperature at San Luis Reservoir?Water temperature is 71 degrees, well below normal for late July, held down by heavy wind. Roger expects it to rise toward almost 80 degrees over the following week. What lake level is San Luis Reservoir at?The lake is holding stable around 50 percent, with water being pumped in and taken out, which is normal for this time of year and stirs in grass and debris. How fast should you troll at San Luis Reservoir?Roger is trolling 2.2 to 2.4 mph on the main lake flats. How far behind the boat should you run lures at San Luis Reservoir?He is letting lures back 120, 130, and 140 feet behind the boat in 60 to 80 feet of water. What lure colors are working at San Luis Reservoir?White belly patterns and chartreuse are the top colors right now, though Roger says colors can change day to day. Are shore anglers or boaters doing better at San Luis Reservoir?Shore anglers have been doing a little better than boaters because the constant wind limits how and when boats can fish, while shore anglers can fish earlier and later. What size fish are being caught at San Luis Reservoir?One recent trip produced fish of 14, 21, and 27 pounds, though the next trip was much tougher. The specific species was not named in this report. Who guides San Luis Reservoir?Capt. Roger George of Roger George Guide Service, the exclusive guide on San Luis Reservoir. Call (559) 905-2954 to book. Shop the Tackle Trolling Spoons Striped Bass Tackle Shop Striped Bass Gear

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Northwest Oregon Fishing Report | July 2026

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