How far back has Folsom Lake pulled from Granite Bay this October? Far enough that California State Parks closed the Granite Bay Stage 1 launch ramp on October 19, when the lake dropped to 402 feet. From the main beach the shoreline looks very low. The storage numbers tell a calmer story. Folsom Lake is low for this decade, but it is close to normal for late October. On the shoreline, the main thing that changes is where boats go in the water. Gates, fees, trails and race dates are all running on schedule.
The number behind the view
On October 24, 2026, the state's CDEC gauge for Folsom Lake recorded a surface elevation of 400.53 feet and storage of 382,949 acre-feet. The state marks these readings as provisional, so they may still be revised.
ReservoirBench, a tracker built on that same CDEC data, compares the reading with the record. As of October 24 it shows three things:
- Storage is 92% of the October 24 average across 41 years of daily records.
- This is the lowest October elevation since 2022.
- The lake has fallen 2.08 feet over the past week and 7.19 feet over the past month.
Those figures fit together. Folsom Lake is lower than it was the past three Octobers, and it is still within a few percentage points of a typical late October. The 92% figure is a secondary calculation from provisional data, so treat it as a close estimate. It still makes the point that this drawdown is ordinary for fall.
The Bureau of Reclamation's Folsom operations report shows where the water went. From October 1 through 24, storage fell by 43,000 acre-feet while releases and pumping totaled 93,320 acre-feet. Of that total, 83,720 acre-feet went through for power generation, 1,470 through the outlets and 8,130 to pumping. Most of what left the lake this month passed through the dam's power releases.
The longer outlook is drier. In July, The Sacramento Bee reported a projected year-end storage of 266,000 acre-feet for Folsom, below the 300,000 acre-feet Reclamation typically uses as a year-end planning threshold. In late September, the Bee reported abnormally dry conditions in portions of Sacramento, Placer and El Dorado counties. At that point, no part of California was classified as being in severe, extreme or exceptional drought. In short, the lake is low by recent standards, it is not at a crisis level, and it is still falling.
The ramp ladder at Granite Bay
As the lake drops, Granite Bay's launch access moves down a set of ramps. Each one works only above a certain lake elevation. State Parks' October 20 ramp update lays out the current sequence:
- Stage 1 ramp. Closed October 19 at a lake elevation of 402 feet.
- Shoreline launching. Until the next ramp opens, personal watercraft and small boats may launch from the Granite Bay shoreline at their own risk. State Parks does not recommend shoreline launching for larger, heavier boats and will not tow out stuck vehicles.
- Low Water Ramp. Usable at a lake elevation of about 395 feet. State Parks projects it will open the week of November 9, and says releases and rain could move that date in either direction.
- Hobie Cove Launch Ramp at Browns Ravine. Stays open for larger boats in the meantime.
The arithmetic matches the projection. The October 24 reading of 400.53 feet sits about 5.5 feet above the Low Water Ramp's threshold. At the past week's pace of about two feet, that gap closes in a little under three weeks, which lands near State Parks' November 9 estimate. That estimate depends on how fast the lake keeps falling, so check the ramp status page before you hitch up a trailer.
For anyone who comes to the Granite Bay side on foot, on a bike, on horseback or with a dog, very little of this matters.
What stays the same, whatever the gauge says
None of the following rules depends on lake elevation, and all of them come from State Parks.
Hours and fees. From November 1 through March 31, winter hours at both Granite Bay and Beals Point run from 7 a.m. to 30 minutes after sunset. As days shorten, closing time moves earlier, which affects evening walks more than the water level does. The day-use fee is $12 at both entrances.
Dogs. The Folsom Lake SRA page says State Parks allows dogs on Folsom Lake State Recreation Area trails and in the water. Dogs are not allowed in the designated swim areas at Granite Bay or Beals Point, among other swim areas in the park.
E-bikes. Under the park's e-bike route list, Class 1 e-bikes are allowed on these Granite Bay-side routes:
- The dirt Service Road between Beals Point and Granite Bay across Dikes 4 through 6
- The Dike 4–6 Multiuse Trail
- Granite Bay Multi-use Trails North and South
- Center Trail
- Doton's Point Multi-use Trail
Class 2 e-bikes are limited to specified paved commuter routes. The list includes no Class 3 routes anywhere in Folsom Lake State Recreation Area.
Horses and long runs. The State Parks park brochure lists hitching rails, a water trough and chemical toilets at the Granite Bay equestrian staging area. It describes the Pioneer Express Trail as part of the park's network for hikers, bicyclists, runners and horseback riders, and a mostly accessible paved bike trail that links Beals Point to the American River Bike Trail. The brochure was last revised in 2022, so confirm current conditions at the entrance kiosk or on the Folsom Lake SRA page.
Picnics and camping. State Parks lists year-round group picnic sites at Granite Bay Main Beach during normal park hours. Beals Point Campground stays open year-round, including the off-season.
Two November dates that run through Granite Bay
The low lake has not changed the park's event calendar. State Parks' 2026 special events calendar lists two November trail runs on the Granite Bay side, with no closures for either.
| Date | Event | Where it runs | Listed field |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 7–8 | Rio Del Lago | Beals Point, Granite Bay, Rattlesnake Bar, the Pioneer Express Trail, the American River Bike Trail, the South Lake Natoma Bike Path and surrounding trails | 375 runners |
| Nov. 26 | Wild Turkey Trot | Beals Point and the surrounding trails to Granite Bay | 200 runners |
Rio Del Lago covers the most ground. Over two days, its runners share the Pioneer Express Trail and the Beals Point to Granite Bay corridor with everyone else using the park. If you plan a long walk or ride that weekend, expect runners on the singletrack.
The Wild Turkey Trot is the smaller Thanksgiving morning race and stays close to home, starting at Beals Point and running toward Granite Bay. The same calendar lists the much larger Folsom Turkey Trot that morning, with about 4,000 participants on the American River Bike Trail from Rainbow Bridge to Folsom Lake Crossing. Of the two, the Wild Turkey Trot is the one on Granite Bay's own trails.
Reading the lake through November
Three pages cover most of what matters for a November weekend at the lake. The CDEC daily readings show whether the lake is still dropping about two feet a week. The Granite Bay ramp status page will report when the Low Water Ramp opens at about 395 feet. The special events calendar shows when runners will be on the trails. Rain could slow the drawdown and push the ramp date later. Continued releases could bring it earlier. Either way, the gates open at 7 a.m. and the fee is $12.
If you are weighing how far a Granite Bay home sits from the Granite Bay or Beals Point entrances, or which streets lead most directly to the trail network, Samantha Gray knows this side of the lake well and is happy to walk through them with you. Schedule a Consultation.
