Lake Oroville Winter Preview Fly Fishing Report

Our Lake Oroville season starts in November and we fish it all winter long. We really like this fishery, and it’s become one of our first choices when we start looking at winter fishing.

The spotted bass are the main event. Most of the fish are 1–3 pounds with some breaking 5lbs.  They pull way harder! Get one headed for deep water and you’ll understand why we do it. We’ll also run into the occasional largemouth or smallmouth which will test you some. 

We do a lot of float-and-fly fishing during the winter. Your favorite switch rod is the perfect tool for this. You can cover water, control your float and keep your fly where it needs to be. It’s also just a fun way to fish. Let’s keep that switch rod bent this winter. For anglers who want to mix it up, we can strip flies and there are days when we can even get them on top.

This is also a really fun trip to do with a couple of buddies, guys from work or your kids. Our captains have custom boats set up to comfortably fish up to three anglers. The float-and-fly is easy to learn, so you don't need to be an experienced fly angler to have a good day out here.

One of the things that makes Oroville so good in the winter is how dependable it is. We can get some big storms in Northern California and it takes a lot to knock this lake out. When the rivers are high and muddy, there’s a good chance we’re still fishing Oroville. But that’s a bonus, not the reason to go. We’d fish it anyway.

530 Outfitters