Trout Action at Folsom Lake Plus Surprise Chinook Spawn | The Fish Sniffer

Trout Action at Folsom Lake Plus Surprise Chinook Spawn

1/19/2026
Developed in paid partnership with Tom Mailey
Trout Action at Folsom Lake Plus Surprise Chinook Spawn

There seems to be a decent bite for small wild trout in the main body right now. Fish aren't huge - most are between 12 and 14" but that could be a great sign for this spring. The more interesting thing is a number of small chinook are being hooked (and hopefully released!). They are running 10-12" and, since there were no salmon plants last year (last one was in '24) these fish have to be naturally spawned in the river arms. For those who don't know, until 2008 DFW planted non-sterilized chinook in Folsom and some of those fish established spawning runs up the river arms. After that, there were no plants again for 8 years but we kept catching salmon, so DFW did a survey and confirmed that's what was happening. Despite wildly fluctuating water conditions since then, it appears enough descendents of those pre-'08 salmon are spawning to keep a somewhat "wild" strain of landlocked chinook going in Folsom. Pretty cool!

Article image 1
Article image 2
Tom Mailey

Tom Mailey

Get The Net Fishing Guide Service

Tom Mailey is a Northern California fishing guide with Puget Sound roots and over 30 years chasing salmon and trout across local waters. After launching Get The Net in 2020, he traded his microphone from 32 years on the Pat, Tom and Cody Show for a captain's seat, retiring in May '25 to guide full-time on Folsom, Collins, Lake Amador, and other NorCal lakes. Fully licensed, bonded, insured, and USCG OUPV certified, he specializes in trout and landlocked salmon trips that welcome beginners and veterans alike. Hands-on instruction, prime spots, and a lifetime of stories.

Book a trip with Tom, call 916-521-4641

Volume 45 Issue 1 Out Now!

Volume 45 Issue 1 Out Now!