Welcome to Lake Oroville
Stren Series finally comes to California's second-largest lake
OROVILLE, Calif. – This area was settled in the mid-1900s by prospectors in search of gold. Today, a different kind of prospector goes forth on Lake Oroville in search of black gold.
No, not oil, but black bass, spotted and largemouth, which will be pursued by 216 pros and co-anglers in the Stren Series’ third Western Division tournament of the season.
This is the first time the Stren Series has visited Lake Oroville, an impooundment on the Feather River in the Central Valley of northern California about 65 miles north of Sacramento. As the second-largest reservoir in California, Lake Oroville has 15,810 surface acres and 167 miles of shoreline. The Oroville Dam is one of the 20 largest dams in the world, the largest earth-filled dam in the nation and the tallest dam in the nation at 770 feet.
Persistent drought in the region has the lake 100 feet below full pool. This tournament was originally scheduled to take place in January, but was moved to May to allow for the completion of a new boat ramp, from which 108 boats launched this morning.
“We’re lucky to have enough water in the lake to fish,” said Steve Klein, a local pro who’s taking part in the tournament. “We were 250 feet down. We were launching on dirt roads. It was a mess.”
The low water means that more fish will be suspended in the main channel rather than schooled along traditional shoreline locations. Klein said, in many ways, Lake Oroville is similar to Lake Shasta in the preponderance of spotted bass over largemouths and in how it fishes. Common baits used here include finesse worms, topwater lures, spinnerbaits and crankbaits.
“You’ll see a lot of spotted bass weighed in,” Klein predicted. “A good weight for five fish this time of year is anywhere from 9 to 14 pounds.”
Klein said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the Folgers Big Bass of the day tip the scales at 5 pounds. He added that he’s glad to see the Stren Series come to Lake Oroville.
“It’s about time,” he said. “I like having this here in my own backyard rather than traveling around.”
Anglers take off from the Spillway Launch at the north end of Oroville Dam on Canyon Drive in at 6:30 a.m. each day. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins take place at the launch site at 3 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be at the Walmart at 355 Oro Dam Blvd. E. in Oroville at 4 p.m.
Pros normally would be fishing for a top award of $25,000 plus a 198VX Ranger boat. But with the field down from the two previous Stren Series Western Division tournaments, the overall payout will be less. Co-anglers are fishing for a top award of a Ranger 177TR boat.
Thursday’s conditions
Temperature at takeoff: 57 degrees
Sky: clear
Wind: calm
Barometric pressure: 30.01 inches and steady
Forecast: partly cloudy; high around 85 degrees, wind NW at 5-10 mph; chance of rain 20 percent
Sunrise: 5:53 a.m.
Sunset: 8:13 p.m.