Discover the Thermalito Afterbay

The Thermalito Afterbay and surrounding Oroville Wildlife Area are managed for primitive and comprehensive wildlife experiences as well as for the conservation and enhancement of wildlife habitats. With 17 miles of shoreline and 4,300 acres of water, the Thermalito Afterbay offers an expansive area for watercraft use with numerous opportunities for motorized and non-motorized boating, swimming, fishing, picnicking and hunting.

Afterbay’s boat ramp and day-use area at Monument Hill offers a two-lane ramp with a dock, picnic tables, grills, restrooms, a fish cleaning station and a swimming beach. North of the Highway 162 bridge, a 5 mph speed limit for motorized watercraft provides opportunities for paddle sports, windsurfing and fishing. Afterbay is a local hotspot for largemouth bass (HOT TIP: Anglers have had great success with surface bait along the tule beds). The Wilbur Road boat ramp on the north side of Afterbay and the Larkin Road Cartop boat ramp on the south side of Afterbay provide additional launching options for water sports enthusiasts, with restrooms at both locations.

Several trails in the Afterbay area – Toland Road Trailhead, Tres Vias Trailhead, and East Hamilton Road Trailhead – connect to the popular Brad Freeman Trail to further explore the Oroville Wildlife Area. The East Hamilton Trailhead is the only facility with a picnic table and a small gravel parking area.

Campgrounds near Afterbay Outlet are located in the Oroville Wildlife Area and offer basic camping facilities with restrooms and trash receptacles. Contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for information on hunting and fishing seasons and regulations.

Free fishing day

If you’re new to the sport of fishing and aren’t sure if you’ll enjoy it, CDFW is offering a free fishing day on Saturday, August 31. While all fishing regulations such as catch and size limits, gear restrictions, credential requirements, fishing times and river closures will still apply, anyone can fish without a fishing license on the upcoming free fishing day. Free fishing days offer a great and inexpensive way to try fishing.

Lake Oroville is one of the State Water Project’s most popular recreational destinations and one of California’s best fishing spots. The lake offers both warm and cold water fishing. Below the Oroville Dam, the Thermalito Forebay, Thermalito Afterbay and the Feather River offer other excellent fishing for Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. The marinas at Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle are open daily and offer a variety of services including a grocery store, gas stations, boat rentals and more.

For more information about CDFW’s free fishing day, visit their website.

Improvements to the Brad Freeman Trail

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is making progress on a project to improve a 1.5-mile section of the Brad Freeman Trail between Cherokee Road and the Highway 70 Garden Drive overpass. DWR crews are removing old asphalt and nearby vegetation and installing bedrock along the trail in preparation for future paving work. Trail paving is scheduled to occur in September, although the work schedule is subject to change based on availability of materials and crews.

General improvements to the trail include upgrading the existing gravel/dirt path to an 8-foot-wide asphalt path for bicyclists and a 4-foot-wide weathered granite path for pedestrians. The existing entrance bollards will also be replaced with wider, accessible box gates. The improvement project is supported by a grant from the National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund, with the remaining funds for the $700,000 project provided by the DWR. During construction, portions of the Brad Freeman Trail may be closed at times for paving and grading work. Trail improvements will be completed in phases, and work may be suspended during the winter months depending on weather conditions.

Relaxation in Oroville

The Lake Oroville Visitor Center is staffed by knowledgeable guides and offers interpretive exhibits on the Oroville Dam, area geology, wildlife and habitat, hydroelectric power, and cultural and historical artifacts. Watch videos about the construction of the Oroville Dam in the theater, walk or hike nearby trails, and visit the 47-foot observation tower for unmatched panoramic views of the surrounding areas. Free tours for school and community groups are available by reservation. Parking and admission to the visitor center are free.

DWR, State Parks and CDFW maintain over 92 miles of trails in the Oroville area. An interactive map of recreational facilities, including open trails and their permitted uses (hiking, biking, horseback riding, multi), is available on DWR’s Lake Oroville Recreation webpage. A printed trail map is available at several locations, including most entrance kiosks and the Lake Oroville Visitor Center.

The total number of fish migrating upstream through the Feather River Fish Monitoring Station between 1 January and 17 August is:

• Spring King Salmon (March 1 to June 30): 7,121
• Chinook salmon in fall (July 1 to present): 3,747
• Steelhead: 928

Current sea operations

Lake Oroville sits at an elevation of 827 feet and has a storage capacity of approximately 2.42 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 71 percent of its total capacity and 113 percent of the historical average.

The Feather River is flowing through the City of Oroville at 1,100 cubic feet per second (cfs), with 6,400 cfs being discharged from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet (Outlet), for a total downstream discharge of 7,500 cfs. DWR continues to assess Feather River discharges daily.

The Oroville Dam’s main spillway was suspended earlier this summer, but water is still being released through the Hyatt Generating Station for power generation, water delivery, and environmental protection purposes. When the main spillway is not in operation, water may still be seen at the main spillway outlet because the seals on the eight radial gates are not watertight. The gate seals are not important to the structural integrity of the gates. Visitors to Oroville Dam may also notice small amounts of water flowing from the drains built into the emergency spillway. This is normal and expected given the design of the emergency spillway. The dam and emergency spillway continue to operate as designed.

The public can track precipitation, snow, reservoir levels and more at the California Data Exchange Center. The gauging station at Lake Oroville is labeled “ORO.”

All data as of August 22, 2024, midnight.

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