Fishing Local Lakes, River's and Ponds

Lake, Stream and pond fishing in our area is some of the best in the state!!

There are some many places to fish in our area that it’s hard to just choose one place to write about, so I will list a few lakes, some streams and a few ponds that will give you some great Bass, Crappie, Yellow Perch and Trout fishing as well as one of the best Lakes in the entire state to score on submarine size Carp. I will start off this week with local lakes and cover the remaining waters in upcoming days and weeks.

Lake Hopatcong must be mentioned even though you need a boat to fish this very productive body of water productively.  The Knee Deep Club does an excellent job of stocking Trout of substantial size and in great quantities. A Special Thanks to the Knee Deep Club!!!

Bass fishing as well as Striper and Walleye fishing can be had on the lake. Yellow Perch, Crappie and Channel Catfish and Bullhead Catfish are also available as is the awesome toothy Pickerel.

Lake Musconetcong can be fished by both boat and shore anglers with success being achieved by both methods. Being downstream from Lake Hopatcong all the fish present in the big lake are also available in Musconetcong. Early spring fishing is great as is night fishing this lake. Top water baits work here because of the shallow depths so this lake is a blast to fish. The launch ramp is located behind the theater and bank in the center of town and there is no fee to launch.

Cranberry Lake located on route 206 is actually two lakes in one a shallow back lake with stumps, weeds and lots of rock structure to keep you busy. The front lake has deeper depths as well as a dam area. Cranberry Lake must be fished by boat to really cover the water and enjoy this scenic productive body of water. This is a great lake for all game fish and pan fish and should be on your list of places to fish.

Jefferson Lake is a small lake located off of Waterloo Road in Byram. It has game fish, pan fish and Trout and can be fished from shore, but a small boat will really let you enjoy all the lake has to offer.

OK now for the submarine size Carp Lake…….Paulinskill Lake is by far one of the best and underutilized lakes in our area. Bass as well as pan fish and giant carp can be had in this long narrow body of water located in Sussex County just outside of Newton. This is a muddy lake with water that is always with color, average depth is about 10 feet and boat as well as limited shore fishing can be had. Bring the dough balls and enjoy a great day of fishing on a great lake.

There are also many small pothole lakes that hold a surprising number of large fish in our area, fish all bodies of water big and small and watch your success rate zoom up!! Spinner Baits, Plastic worms and top water baits such as the Jitterbug will prove successful on these smaller bodies of water.

If anyone needs more specific information contact me through this blog and I will be more than happy to share my knowledge of these places with you.

Thanks for the support for this blog

Frank