Lake Oroville Update - August 15, 2025
Bidwell Canyon Marina from Loafer Creek Boat Ramp at Lake Oroville in Butte County, California. Photo taken March 11, 2025.
Golden Mussel Inspection Program – Ramp Hour Changes
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is alerting water recreators to upcoming changes to boat ramp hours that will be in effect as of Monday, Sept. 1. Hours for inspection/decontamination services at the North Thermalito Forebay will remain the same. Additional changes to boat ramp hours are anticipated with the shortening days.
More details about DWR’s mussel inspection program are available at water.ca.gov/mussels.
Watercraft Inspection Location/Decontamination Services
North Thermalito Forebay at Garden Drive and HWY 70 in Oroville
Hours of operation: Daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sealed Vessel Launching
Lake Oroville
Ramp hours: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Starting Sept. 1: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Spillway
- Bidwell Canyon
Extended Ramp hours: Daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Starting Sept. 1: Daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Lime Saddle
- Loafer Creek
Thermalito Afterbay
Ramp hours: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to one hour after sunset
Starting Sept. 1: Daily from 1.5 hours before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset
- Monument Hill
Thermalito Forebay
Ramp Hours: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Start Sept. 1: Daily from 7:30 a.m. to sunset
- North Forebay (Non-motorized vessels only)
Paving Work to Temporarily Close Trail
DWR is starting a $1.9 million paving and sealing project to rehabilitate seven locations owned and maintained by the department that are heavily used by maintenance staff and public members. Project work is expected to begin Monday, Aug. 18 and continue through November 2025. Vintage Paving Company, Inc. of Winters, Calif. is the contractor for the project.
Paving will begin Monday, Aug. 18 along the Thermalito Afterbay Dam Crest Road, which is also part of the Brad Freeman Trail system. The Afterbay Dam Crest Road/Brad Freeman Trail south of State Route 162 to the East Hamilton Road Trail Access will be closed around the clock for paving work through Wednesday, August 20. A portion of the Dam Crest Road/Brad Freeman Trail north of State Route 162 will be closed Wednesday, Aug. 20. An interactive map of recreation facilities, including open trails and their permitted uses (hike, bike, horse, multi), is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage.
Additional locations for future paving, sealing, and guardrail work include:
- Feather River Fish Hatchery
- Thermalito Powerplant Access Roads
- Thermalito Diversion Dam Powerplant
- Thermalito Power Canal Access Road
- Oroville Field Division Operations and Maintenance Center at Glen Drive
- Canyon Drive from the intersection of Oroville Dam Blvd. E./Royal Oaks Drive heading north to the dam and upper overlook
- Oroville Dam Boulevard East near Oro Powerhouse Road
DWR will provide more details about scheduled work and potential public access impacts in future newsletters. Work schedules are subject to change based on weather and the availability of equipment and materials.
Tree Blocking Feather River at Cottonwood Riffle
DWR is alerting Feather River anglers and water recreators of a downed tree spanning the main river channel at Cottonwood Riffle near the Feather River Fish Hatchery. Feather River users launching near the green Table Mountain Bridge should use caution. Warning signs will be posted in the water to alert river users of the hazard ahead. Water users can still navigate downstream along the east side of the river closest to downtown Oroville. DWR does not own the Feather River channel but has notified local authorities about this hazard.
Feather River Flow Changes Planned
DWR decreased Feather River flows today and will increase flows on Saturday in support of planned and required maintenance work at the O’Neill Forebay. Feather River releases are at 1,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville. Flows from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) were reduced to 3,000 cfs for a total Feather River release of 4,000 cfs downstream. Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, DWR will increase Outlet flows in 500-cfs increments, with total Feather River releases increasing to 7,000 cfs by 2 p.m. River flows through the City of Oroville will remain at 1,000 cfs. DWR continues to assess Feather River releases daily.
August is a popular time for water recreation and fishing on the Feather River. DWR is advising Feather River users to remain alert for changing water conditions associated with scheduled flow changes today and Saturday.
Fish Monitoring Station
Between Jan. 30 and April 20, high flows in the Feather River required the temporary removal of fish monitoring equipment resulting in lower spring-run estimates. Upstream migrating fish totals through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between Jan. 1 and August 11, 2025 are:
- Spring-run Chinook salmon (April 16 through June 30): 17,732
- Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 538
- Steelhead: 195
- To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.
Current Lake Operations
Lake Oroville is at 838 feet elevation and storage is approximately 2.55 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 75 percent of its total capacity and 115 percent of the historical average.
DWR decreased Feather River flows today and will increase flows on Saturday in support of planned and required maintenance work at the O’Neill Forebay. Feather River releases are at 1,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville. Flows from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet) were reduced to 3,000 cfs for a total Feather River release of 4,000 cfs downstream. Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, DWR will increase Outlet flows in 500-cfs increments, with total Feather River releases increasing to 7,000 cfs by 2 p.m. River flows through the City of Oroville will remain at 1,000 cfs. DWR continues to assess Feather River releases daily.
The public can track precipitation, snow, reservoir levels, and more at the California Data Exchange Center. The Lake Oroville gage station is identified as “ORO.”
All data as of 11:59 p.m. on 8/14/2025.