7 replies to this topic

[rlveloria]

Just curious, does anyone know if fishing is allowed or permitted along the banks off Lake Natomas? Especially along the bike trails between Forrest St and Blue Ravine. I have ridden the trail about 7x since moving here and noticed there are park benches and bbq grills by the water but I am not sure if people are allowed to fish along the banks. Can someone clarify this for me. Much appreciated.

[Steve Heard]

I've never fished there. But it's on my list.

http://www.fishsniff...aps/natoma.html

Fishing Notes:
Rainbow Trout Caught year round. The best fishing is found spring, fall and winter. Troll minnow imitation lures or bank fish with Power Bait and crawlers at Nimbus Flat, Willow Creek and above Rainbow bridge.
Smallmouth & Largemouth Bass Offer decent fishing in the warmer coves in spring, summer and fall.
Black Crappie Fishing is best in spring around brush in coves. Use minnows and small jigs.
Channel Catfish Are a sleeper for anglers fishing cut and live bait during the summer.

[rlveloria]

StevetheDad - big thanks
Link is very helpful. Let me know when your game and will go fishing. I'm sure C will like that.

[tessieca]

Get your license.

[rlveloria]

Get your license.

Yup got my years license , just wanted to make sure they don't ticket ya. I know because we live in Amador County and even if you have a fishing license you still need a permit to fish or else they ticket you and the fine is huge.

[maestro]

Lake Natoma: fishing allowed, but discouraged by U. S. authorities because of high levels of mercury -- especially in larger fish. Other contaminations include arsenic and fecal coliforms associated with sewage leaks.
Elderly and pregnant women need to limit their consumption from fish caught in these waters. contact USGS for info.

Note: anyone who allows dog to swim there: PLEASE wash your dog afterward with strong soaps. I know of six dogs who developed cancer after swimming in LN, including my 2. It's sad.

Since you mentioned the area, when you're down at the monument near Historic Folsom, look up and you'll see an open field behind fence. That's the part of the City Corporation Yard that's a federally monitored contamination site. The posts sticking up mark the monitoring wells for water.
Site used to be the city sewage treatment plant, then an unregulated garbage dump.
This is not the source of the coliforms, which come from active sewage lines and spills.

[tessieca]

Maestro, you're scaring me. I don't let my dog swim there, but I swim there myself, and have allowed my kids to also. We always bathe afterward.

[maestro]

[quote=tessieca,Nov 20 2004, 03:00 PM]
Maestro, you're scaring me. I don't let my dog swim there, but I swim there myself, and have allowed my kids to also. We always bathe afterward.


We've been swimming in Lake Natoma for over a decade, although we stopped during the late 1990's when the raw sewage stench wouldn't come out of the dog's fur. (city had a 7 day sewage leak during the week after the new bridge opened.)

We swam in Lake Natoma this past summer a few times. The water was thick and dark. The algae was awful. The smell was offensive. But we did swim there because it was cold water. The Feds are now going to keep Folsom Reservoir much lower, so the water is just plain hot by July. That's why we swam Natoma, even knowing the risks.

Don't mean to scare you, because the real scare is not knowing the unseen dangers. We try to avoid getting the water in our mouths, ears, etc.
By the way, Save the American River Association (SARA) has a citizens' monitoring program for fecal coliforms there. Many SARA folks kayak at Lake Natoma all year round.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation also has their own monitoring program because their employees were caught in some of Folsom's unreported sewage spills.