Lake Oroville Update - September 4, 2026

Dam Revegetation Project Ongoing

Construction work is ongoing on a DWR project to reestablish native vegetation in areas adjacent to Oroville Dam’s main and emergency spillways. Work started in June 2026, with the project revegetating approximately 70 acres with seed and replanting six acres of woody vegetation surrounding Oroville Dam’s spillways. The project is designed to improve the appearance of areas near trails and roadways while enhancing the view for visitors and motorists traveling along Oroville Dam Boulevard East.  

Maintaining a fire-resilient landscape within the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area was also a top consideration during project development, with planting basins spaced apart to prevent vegetation from acting as a fire ladder. In addition, the selected California-native plants are fire-adapted species that can regenerate after fires.

Brad Freeman Trail users hiking, biking, or riding between the Spillway Day Use Area and Diversion Pool should be alert for active construction work and equipment near the trail through Sept. 18. Crews will be onsite weekdays between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Caution is advised when passing near the project area.

Work in 2026 includes grading and seeding areas of the hillside to establish native grasses, with completion of the first phase expected by November. Project work will continue in 2027, with the establishment of planting basins that include trees and shrubs. A five-year establishment period has been incorporated into revegetation efforts, with temporary irrigation tanks being installed to support initial vegetation growth. Following project completion, Oroville Field Division’s Fuel Load Management Program will maintain native vegetation.

DWR’s revegetation project continues the Department’s commitment to mitigate impacts to native habitats from the 2017 spillway incident. Following the incident, DWR mobilized immediately and implemented a robust reconstruction plan resulting in impacts to native vegetation surrounding the spillways. While project plans were initiated, developed, and submitted during spillway reconstruction efforts, the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC) gave DWR approval to move forward with revegetation efforts in 2023. Final revegetation plans were approved by FERC in July 2025. Empire Landscaping Inc. of Davis, California, is the contractor for the project.

Free Fishing Day

If you are new to the sport of fishing, and not sure if you will enjoy it, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is offering a free fishing day this Saturday, Sept. 5. While all fishing regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect, the upcoming free fishing day allows anyone to fish without purchasing a fishing license. Free Fishing Days provide a great way to give fishing a try.

Lake Oroville is one of the State Water Project’s premier recreational destinations and one of California’s best fishing spots. The lake provides both warm-water and cold-water fisheries. Below the Oroville Dam, the Thermalito Forebay, Thermalito Afterbay and the Feather River offer additional excellent fishing opportunities for Chinook salmon and steelhead. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and provide a variety of services including gas, boat rentals, a convenience store, and more.

More information about CDFW’s free fishing day is available on their website.

PHOTO COLLECTION: Bidwell Bar Bridge at Sunset

8/31/2026 – DWR photographers capture the splendor of Bidwell Bar Bridge and Lake Oroville near sunset. View the photo gallery on Pixel.

Feather River Fish Monitoring Station

DWR resumed operations of the Feather River fish monitoring station on March 4, 2026, to capture the return of spring-run Chinook salmon. Monitoring was temporarily suspended at the end of December 2025 due to anticipated high flows in the Feather River. Upstream migrating fish totals between March 4 and August 30, 2026, are:  

• Spring-run Chinook salmon (March 4 through June 30): 8,509
• Fall-run Chinook salmon (July 1 through present): 5,901
• Steelhead: 37
• To see previous year data, visit CalFish.org.

Current Lake Operations

Lake Oroville is at 783 feet elevation and storage is approximately 1.93 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 54 percent of its total capacity and 94 percent of the historical average.

Feather River flows are at 650 cubic feet per second (cfs) through the City of Oroville with releases from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet at 6,850 cfs for a total Feather River release of 7,500 cfs downstream. 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 9/3/2026.