Lake Natoma Trout

[The Cal Fisher]

I just a new float tube recently and I want to try and fish Lake Natoma since it’s close and it has big wild trout. I’ve already fished it a lot for bass from shore but I’m wondering if anyone has any insight into fishing it for trout. I’ve seen people pull huge wild rainbows out of the lake up near downtown Folsom and they spawn in one of the streams that feed into the lake. I’ve never really Stillwater fly fished before and I know Natoma is supposed to not be beginner friendly but I would like to just try fishing it a bunch and get to know it really well.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Over the last 50 years, once in a while, you would see a photo on the Sports page of the Sacramento Bee or Union news papers of a giant 15#ish hatchery Rainbow trout caught at the top end of Lake Natoma by someone fishing off the bank.


In the summer right at sunset, the big Hex mayflies hatch off, and all kinds of fish and birds feed on them.

It would help if you had an evening with low winds to see all these huge mayflies, about a size 6, on the top.

There can be a problem with the park closing too early in the evenings.


Go out some calm evening, right now, and see if the big yellow bugs are coming off in the evening.


Over the years we went after that even with some luck.

You need a watercraft....maybe it is no gas motors now?





PS: 50 years ago when the fishing was far better we had a local TV show on fishing and hunting, "The Outdoorsman".....Bel Lange.

Both newspapers, the Bee and the Union, had something on hunting and fishing back then.


They also had many Striper and Salmon derbies where folks won a boat, motor and trailer.





Not much now on local fishing and hunting.

[The Cal Fisher]

Good to know. I have the Fishbrain app so I've been seeing a lot of people lately catching big wild trout on nightcrawlers and spinners. While I was down by the Rainbow Bridge I met a guy fishing spinners for stocked rainbow and I watched him catch a few small planters but he hooked maybe three or four huge fish that went on super fast, long runs and broke him off.

I had heard about the Hex there but I wasn't sure if it was worth fishing. I recall reading something in the Granite Bay Fly Fishers Club newsletter online that was talking about having an outing at Natoma to fish the Hex hatch. The itinerary was to fish Hex nymphs on intermediate lines in the afternoon and dries in the evening. Maybe i'll try that soon.

[Smitty Fish]

I’ve heard there’s some above the Old Rainbow Bridge. Lots of splash And giggles going on right now.
Maybe early fall when the kayakers and paddle boarding slows down.
Good luck if you do go.��

[Natekursow]

PM sent.

NK

[STEELIES/26c3]

Good to know. I have the Fishbrain app so I've been seeing a lot of people lately catching big wild trout on nightcrawlers and spinners. While I was down by the Rainbow Bridge I met a guy fishing spinners for stocked rainbow and I watched him catch a few small planters but he hooked maybe three or four huge fish that went on super fast, long runs and broke him off.

I had heard about the Hex there but I wasn't sure if it was worth fishing. I recall reading something in the Granite Bay Fly Fishers Club newsletter online that was talking about having an outing at Natoma to fish the Hex hatch. The itinerary was to fish Hex nymphs on intermediate lines in the afternoon and dries in the evening. Maybe i'll try that soon.

FISHBRAIN and other similar sites will RUIN what remains of the once, bountiful and sacred, wild rainbow trout population there...

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

About 60 years ago my brother Dick and I went up the solid rock canon at the top of Lake Natomas in my Jon boat.

After a while, we came to a cable across the river, up high, that, I think, said Folsom Prison Property, No Trespassing.

Back then we were still doing some spin fishing, so Dick threaded the line out through the guides and put on a Rooster Tail spinner.

He made a cast and instantly realized he had not had the bail open so the line would not reel in.

The spinner was just free-falling and soon a very large Rainbow trout started jumping with his spinner in its mouth.

Eventually, it came off ............we were pretty sad about that but we survived.


Over the past 60 years, most of the big Rainbow trout pictures in the newspapers were huge old hatchery fish with worn tails and fins.

[STEELIES/26c3]

About 60 years ago my brother Dick and I went up the solid rock canon at the top of Lake Natomas in my Jon boat.

After a while, we came to a cable across the river, up high, that, I think, said Folsom Prison Property, No Trespassing.

Back then we were still doing some spin fishing, so Dick threaded the line out through the guides and put on a Rooster Tail spinner.

He made a cast and instantly realized he had not had the bail open so the line would not reel in.

The spinner was just free-falling and soon a very large Rainbow trout started jumping with his spinner in its mouth.

Eventually, it came off ............we were pretty sad about that but we survived.


Over the past 60 years, most of the big Rainbow trout pictures in the newspapers were huge old hatchery fish with worn tails and fins.

There are very few hatchery fish up there anymore because Lake Natoma hasn't been planted for many years now. There are occasional spillover fish that enter via Folsom Dam that are adipose clipped. The wild fish get very big and they are smart and you need to know what you're doing to catch them. I will NEVER tell anybody shit about it because those fish are WAY more sacred than any American River steelhead... I hate social media and people who don't get off their ass and learn the way I did... by paying their dues, WORKING for it and BEING rather than getting... the report...

After 25 years of seeing virtually no one up there, crowds started showing up 2 years ago because some dumb-ass on SHIT-FOR-BRAINS... I MEAN FISH-BRAIN, told everyone where to go and what to use... Those Googans FINALLY figured out some (although thankfully, a limited amount...) of the secrets to catching those trout up there. I won't really even talk about it with many friends because I care way too much about the health of that UNSUSTAINABLE fishery. My fishing partner has fished up there nearly 40 years and he pretty much taught Frank Palmer, who once held the state record rainbow trout, how to catch 'em. Frank, like me and like my fishing partner Mark G. all knew/know how to keep our boca not so grande, lol and NO not a poke at you at all Bill. I'm just venting my frustrations with the 'new-age' angler... who wants to learn everything online so he can later go BACK online to brag about what a great fisherman he is... For the record, I belong to absolutely ZERO fishing clubs, groups, Facebook pages or other fish-related social media platforms.

This, ONE forum is the exception and I post very sparingly on here anymore as it is a public forum. If you do go to Natoma for 'bows, please release both strains of wild fish as their only means of replenishment is natural spawning and their viable habitat to do so is mostly limited to the mile between the dam and the prison and Willow Creek.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Steelies, I understand your feelings for as many years, days, and hours as you have spent fishing around Sacramento.



This is happening all over the World now.

Fisheries are almost all in decline and the Internet is putting more pressure on what are still pretty good areas.



Where we are living, the Sebastian Inlet is one of the top 10 destinations in all of Florida.

10% of the anglers are pretty good and 90% are 'Googans', as Marty calls them here in Florida.



Marty went out very early yesterday and hooked about a dozen Snook and one big Jack.



He only fished for about 3 hours of a tide cycle and then went home to take a break.



Later Marty, my FL mentor, took me out for the outgoing tide for Pompano around noon.

Some of the locals commented, you back again and he replied, "Went home to eat and take a break."

Lots of Snook we caught too. At that time of day, most were smaller fish.

There was a wild bite of Jacks going off but we were after Pompano. I got one for dinner.

[The Cal Fisher]

I am sorry that you feel that way. If you are worried that I am going to ruin the fishery, I never say my location when I post fish. I'll even blur the background of the photo. The fish caught there are few and far between so I hope you know that the fish don't get much pressure.

Hope you catch fish the next time you go out