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Folsom Lake State Recreation Area is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills, about 25 miles east of Sacramento. With over four million visitors each year, this popular area features an 18,000 acre man-made lake that enables visitors to enjoy.

Fishing is perhaps the most popular activity of all and catches include trout, catfish, large and smallmouth bass, perch and kokanee. Bottom fishermen have even been known to catch sturgeon.

The lake features some 10,000 surface acres of water when full, 75 miles of shoreline, extends about 15 miles up the north fork, and about 10 1/2 miles up the south fork of the American River. Lake level normally varies from 466 feet elevation in early summer to a low of 426 feet in early winter.

Folsom Lake is one of the most popular lakes in the California State Park System. The water level of the lake however, dictates the type of recreation and length of the season. One problem with a lower lake level is that at 426 feet, boat ramps around the lake go out of service, even though they have been lowered as far as 370 feet elevation. The marina at the lake cannot moore most boats below an elevation of 412 feet.