Skip to Content
It’s ChicoSearch

Oroville Wildlife Area

The Oroville Wildlife Area covers about 11,800 acres of riparian woodland along the Feather River and grasslands around the Thermalito Afterbay. Visitors fish, watch wildlife, hunt in season and use a shooting range. The Fish and Game Commission designated it a wildlife area in 1968. Checked October 29, 2026 on the operator’s own pages.

From Chico: about 35 min (typical, without traffic)

About 11,800 acresSize
1968Designated
7 consecutive daysCamping limit
(530) 538-2236Phone
Oroville Wildlife Area
Photo: User:bobjgalindo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Plan It in Three Lines

  • Get thereFrom Chico: about 35 min, typical, without traffic. Address: 945 Oro Dam Blvd, West Oroville, CA 95965.
  • WhenPublic entry is allowed from 1 1/2 hours before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset, except at the designated camping area.
  • CostType C wildlife area: no hunting pass needed for entry.

Key Facts

  • The wildlife area covers approximately 11,800 acres, mostly riparian woodland along the Feather River and grasslands around the Thermalito Afterbay.[1]
  • Largemouth bass, bluegill, green sunfish, channel catfish and black crappie live in the dredger ponds and the Thermalito Afterbay.[1]
  • Salmon, steelhead, shad and striped bass can be found in the Feather River.[1]
  • Wildlife seen includes coyote, badger, fox, bobcat, porcupine, osprey, white-tailed kite, egrets, woodpeckers and warblers.[1]
  • Gold dredging ran on the land from 1898 until 1952.[1]
  • In 1968 the Fish and Game Commission designated the property a wildlife area.[1]
  • The Afterbay Outlet Boat Ramp and campground are closed, and public access there is prohibited until summer 2027.[1]
  • Camping needs a permit from the California Highway Patrol office at 2072 3rd Street, Oroville, (530) 538-2700.[1]
  • Camping is limited to seven consecutive days and 14 days a year; open fires are prohibited and only portable gas stoves may be used.[1]
  • The Rabe Road shooting range is open daily sunrise to sunset, with no rangemaster, for paper and clay targets only.[1]
  • The area is closed to hunting February 1 through August 31, except the spring turkey season by special drawing.[1]
  • The wildlife area is Type C and does not require a hunting pass for entry.[1]
  • Drones may not be flown on CDFW land without a Special Use Permit.[1]

Areas Inside Oroville Wildlife Area

  • Thermalito Afterbay Unit

    Access is from Wilbur Road at Highway 162.[1]

  • Thermalito Unit

    Five miles west of Oroville, east of Highway 99.[1]

  • Rabe Road shooting range

    Rifles, pistols, shotguns and archery; closed for cleanup the last Thursday of each month.[1]

Plan Your Visit

WhatAs the operator states it
Run byCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife (North Central Region)
Address945 Oro Dam Blvd, West Oroville, CA 95965
Drive from ChicoAbout 35 min, typical, without traffic (Google Maps, plus 10 minutes, rounded)
HoursPublic entry is allowed from 1 1/2 hours before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset, except at the designated camping area.[1]
FeesType C wildlife area: no hunting pass needed for entry.[1]
CampingDesignated campsites only, with a CHP camping permit; 7 consecutive days, 14 days per year maximum.[1]
BoatingThe Afterbay Outlet Boat Ramp is closed until summer 2027.[1]
Phone(530) 538-2236[1]
Official pageCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife (North Central Region)

Not confirmedThe official pages we read do not publish dogs, restrooms, accessibility for this place.

Hours at a Glance

Public entry1 1/2 hours before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset

Bars are drawn from the hours printed in Plan Your Visit below; a faded or dashed bar means the page prints sunrise or sunset, not a clock time. Today is outlined.

Costs

Entry (Type C area)Free

As the operator prints it: Type C wildlife area: no hunting pass needed for entry.

Map of Oroville Wildlife Area

The pin is approximate, placed from the address or place name. © OpenStreetMap contributors. Directions

Around Oroville Wildlife Area

2 mi4 mi6 mi8 miN123456
  1. Oroville Chinese Temple: 4.7 miles northeast
  2. Downtown Oroville and the Riverfront: 4.8 miles northeast
  3. Oroville State Theatre: 4.9 miles northeast
  4. Feather River Fish Hatchery: 5.4 miles northeast
  5. Butte County Fairgrounds: 7.5 miles southwest
  6. Gridley and Biggs: 7.8 miles southwest

The yellow dot is this place. Rings are spaced so close places do not pile up, and a numbered badge may sit slightly off its true spot (a thin line ends at the true spot). Distances are straight-line miles worked out from the map points each page prints; they are not drive times or walking routes.

What We Could Not Verify

These items were not on an official page we could open on October 29, 2026, or two official pages disagree. Check with the operator before you rely on them.

  • Not confirmedWhether dogs are allowed
  • Not confirmedRestroom locations
  • Not confirmedAccessibility features (the page section shown is for Gray Lodge, not Oroville)
  • Not confirmedNamed trails
  • Not confirmedConflict: Hours: the Location block says open daily, sunrise to sunset; the Activities block says entry is allowed from 1 1/2 hours before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset.

More in Oroville & Lake Oroville

All of Oroville & Lake OrovilleFeather River Fish HatcheryDowntown Oroville and the RiverfrontLime Saddle MarinaBidwell Canyon MarinaOroville Dam Overlooks and Visitor CenterLake Oroville State Recreation AreaLoafer Creek Recreation AreaOroville Chinese TempleOroville State TheatreAll Places

Coming Up in Oroville & Lake Oroville

11 events are on our calendar for Oroville & Lake Oroville in the next 45 days. 1 is listed as free by the organizer; 1 is marked Not confirmed because we could not confirm it on the organizer’s page yet. This list rebuilds itself every day at midnight, Pacific time.

October 2026

November 2026

December 2026

Sources: each card links to the organizer’s own page and shows the date we checked it. This list shows the next 45 days; see every upcoming event.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you camp at the Oroville Wildlife Area?

Yes, in designated sites with a permit from the CHP office at 2072 3rd Street. Stays are limited to 7 days in a row and 14 days a year.[1]

What fish are in the Oroville Wildlife Area?

CDFW lists largemouth bass, bluegill, green sunfish, channel catfish and black crappie in the ponds and Afterbay, and salmon, steelhead, shad and striped bass in the river.[1]

Is the Afterbay Outlet boat ramp open?

No. CDFW says the Afterbay Outlet Boat Ramp and campground are closed until summer 2027.[1]

Sources

  1. Oroville Wildlife Area, California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Read October 29, 2026.

Cite this page: “Oroville Wildlife Area.” It’s Chico, checked October 29, 2026. https://itschico.com/oroville/oroville-wildlife-area/

Coming Up Here

No dated event at Oroville Wildlife Area is on our calendar right now. We list a date only after reading it on the organizer’s own page, so an empty list means not listed yet, not that nothing is happening. See every upcoming event.

On The Map

11 places named on this page are pinned. Tap a pin for the page and directions. Dashed pins were placed from the street address and are approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.