Target shooting and hunting allowed in some areas of the Lake Tahoe Basin

EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIF. - Deputies from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responded to the area of High Meadow Trail on a call of multiple shots heard on Saturday, November 4, 2023. The caller said they'd heard about 100 shots fired. Upon investigation, the deputies found target shooters in the forest who were there legally and conducting themselves in a safe manner with a "good backdrop," according to the sheriff's office.

Some shooting is allowed in some areas of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The United States Forest Service (USFS) allows target shooting and hunting on national lands, as long as done within their regulations and local regulations. Forest orders can change at any time, so know rule changes if partaking in these activities.

In El Dorado County, there is an extra set of rules established through the establishment of the Lake Valley Firearm Control Area ordinance in 1981. This ordinance prohibits using firearms within a large portion of the county's east slope, but, the area beyond High Meadow on USFS land is an allowable area for target shooting. The attached map shows the boundaries of the Lake Valley Firearm Control Area.

Outside of the control area on USFS land, there can be:
* no shooting within 150 yards of a road or dwelling
* no shooting over/across a road
* no shooting over/across a body of water

There are two additional areas on the South Shore where the discharge of firearms cannot take place beside the city limits, Grass Lake Biological Closure Areaa and the Pope-Baldwin Recreational Closure Area.

Hunting is permitted in both the California and Nevada portions of the Lake Tahoe Basin during hunting seasons designated by the California State Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW).

Hunting is not permitted in those areas where the discharge of firearms is prohibited by County Ordinance, California State or local law, Nevada State or local law, or Federal regulations. Hunters must follow all laws, including no hunting within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site or occupied area. A valid California or Nevada hunting license is required. You also cannot use any tracer or incendiary ammunition.

While USFS does allow target shooting in some areas, they suggest using shooting ranges instead.

For the USFS webpage on these rules, as well as links to the CDFW and NDOW pages, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ltbmu/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5412380.