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Folsom Lake Fishing Report | March 3, 2025

Report by Capt. Cal Kellogg
Cal Kellogg is a veteran Northern California trout and salmon guide and a Catch America pro-staff captain. Shop Cal Kellogg's tackle.
What is working right now

Folsom Lake is trolling well, with landlocked king salmon to 24 inches and rainbow trout in the 14 to 16 inch class. Fish the lower ends of the arms and the main body from the surface to 40 feet. Spoons are outproducing everything at 2.5 to 3 mph, best around 2.7. A Trigger Spoon in cop car put a 23 inch salmon in the boat.

What is biting at Folsom Lake right now?

Landlocked king salmon up to about 24 inches, averaging around 16 inches, plus a fair number of rainbow trout in the 14 to 16 inch class. The trolling is pretty darn good and Cal expects it to stay consistent into May or June.

Where and how deep should you fish?

Target the lower ends of the arms and the main body, anywhere from the surface down to about 40 feet. Stagger your lines and work the depths, and run four rods with a partner to cover more water.

What lures are working at Folsom Lake?

Spoons are the top producer. Speedy Shiner in brown trout, chrome and blue, and the all-time favorite chartreuse and gold are all working. Cal's Trigger Spoon is producing too, with cop car accounting for a 23 inch salmon and purple silver going strong. Some salmon come on ocean-style gear like big 360 flashers with a large hoochie tipped with meat-rigged anchovies, but by and large more salmon are hitting spoons.

What trolling speed for Folsom Lake?

Target speed is 2.5 to 3 mph, with the sweet spot around 2.7. This is a fast-troll spoon bite, so run the spoons clean without a dodger and let the speed do the work.

Cal's outlook for Folsom Lake

Trolling should stay consistent right on through May or June barring a rainstorm that muddies the water. The Granite Bay ramps and Folsom Point are open, so launch access is easy.

Watch the full report

From the report (Capt. Cal Kellogg): Folsom Lake is fishing pretty darn good right now. Guys are catching salmon up to about 24 inches, and they are catching a fair number of rainbow trout too, a solid 14 to 16 inches. More salmon are being caught on spoons, and that also gives you a good shot at the trout. Target speed this week is anywhere from 2.5 to 3 miles an hour, the sweet spot 2.7. My Trigger Spoons are also working very well, and the cop car accounted for a 23 inch salmon this week.

Folsom Lake March 3, 2025 FAQ

What is biting at Folsom Lake in early March?

Landlocked king salmon to about 24 inches and rainbow trout in the 14 to 16 inch class.

What depth should you target?

From the surface down to about 40 feet, on the lower ends of the arms and the main body.

What are the best lures?

Spoons. Speedy Shiner in brown trout, chrome and blue, and chartreuse and gold, plus the Trigger Spoon in cop car and purple silver.

What trolling speed works?

2.5 to 3 mph, best around 2.7. Run the spoons fast and clean.

Do you need a dodger at Folsom right now?

No. This is a fast-troll spoon bite, so run the spoons clean without a dodger.

Who guides Folsom Lake for Catch America?

Capt. Cal Kellogg.

Tags: fishing report Folsom Lake king salmon 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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