New Jersey & Delaware Bay - New Jersey & Delaware Bay Freshwater Fishing Reports

Our last report from the northern portion of the state comes from Nick over at Bullet Hole Annex who offered a similar report on the trout fishing in the northern streams, reporting that streams are losing water while water temps are increasing which makes early and late evening when the shadows are on the water the best time to fish. When it comes to the bass fishing most lakes and ponds are seeing the bass move off the beds into their summer haunts. It looks like it is going to be a year of heavy vegetation in the lakes, reservoirs and ponds up north. Most are already starting to see some thick vegetation, he added.

Fishing on the big lake continues to be decent with largemouth hitting around the spawning areas on topwater plugs and swimbaits according to Laurie Murphy over at Dow’s Boat Rentals. Evening fishing has been good for walleyes, hybrids and catfish over drop-offs and points of land. Crappies, perch and panfish remain in good supply around the bridges and pilings with morning and early evening being the best times to fish. Laurie said angler participation continues to be low normal for this time of the year. She said it looks like gas prices are finally starting to go down and hopefully this will put some better numbers of anglers on the water.

“While water levels are starting to drop in the Passaic River the fishing is still holding up,” said Joe over at Fairfield Fishing Tackle. With the water getting low in the river a lot of anglers are walking the bank and casting swimming plugs and swimbaits. Joe also mentioned good smallmouth fishing in Splitrock Reservoir, decent walleye and hybrid fishing in the evening at Lake Hopatcong and good bass fishing in Merrill Creek and Areoflex. With the hot weather coming this week looks like water levels will continue to fall, he said.

I spoke with John Bullock over at Old School Outdoors in Ewing and he told me this past week saw big blue catfish high light the reports from the river from Trenton south. While the flathead fishing has slowed down there are still stripers being taken from the Trenton Bridges south. Carnegie Lake and Mercer Lake were the top spots mentioned for bass and crappie fishing locally. While trout fishing has slowed down in the canal there are plenty of channel cats being caught there, John said.

The word from Rick over at Tackle World was also falling water levels in the streams and rivers. He said the trout fishing is still good in the northern streams but you have to dig the trout to from the deeper holes and whitewater areas. Bass are off the beds and crappies are schooled up and in the deeper water or under some type of shade in most waters.

Over at Creekside Outfitters Tom P told us sweetwater fishing in the lower part of the state is producing some good fishing. Kayak fishermen fishing Ocean Acres have been enjoying some good top water fishing for largemouth. Waretown Lake is still giving up trout along with bass and pickerel swimbaits and Dough Spinners. Lastly he said Lacy Lakes are giving up bass and pickerel while Jack and Travis Rauch of Jackson are still catching trout from Corliss Lake in Waretown.

We got several reports when we spoke with Mark over at Hook House Bait and Tackle. He told of some good bass and crappie fishing in Manasquan Reservoir along the edges of the sunken trees. The bass are taking jig-swimbait combinations and the crappies jigs baited with Gulp or minnows. He also mentioned some good crappie fishing in Mirror Lake also being caught on jigs fished under floats and baited with Gulp or minnows. Lastly he said Lake Carasaljo, Lake Riviera and the College Pond were giving up crappies and panfish.

Bass fishing this past week took center stage over at Jersey Hooker Outfitters. Amanda told us she is still getting good reports on the bass, crappie and pickerel fishing in Manasquan Reservoir. Most of the fishing is on live bait and weedless rigged plasticbaits in the submerged timber. In addition she told us Lake Manetta, Lake Carasaljo and Lake of the Lilies are also giving up bass and panfish. Pickerel fishing in the nearby cedar waters is starting to slow up as water levels fall and vegetation gets thicker, she said.

“It’s really surprising how quickly the effects of the most recent rains can dissipate,” said Justin over at Allens Dock on Bass River. Justin had a short report for us when he said the only two reports he got this past week were of some bass and pickerel being caught in the campground lakes and ponds and a few pickerel still being caught in the near by cedar waters on killies.

We got a decent report from the folks over at Hands Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May who told us Ponderlodge Lake is still fishing well for bass, catfish and some leftover trout on Powerbait and worms. Magnolia Lake and other lakes and ponds in the area are also giving up bass on Senkos and other plastic baits.

The news from Diane over at Dave’s Sporting Goods in Doylestown was fair to good bass fishing in Lake Nockamixon. She said she has not heard a trout fishing report in the last couple of weeks and the combination of high gas prices and low water levels has kept a lot of anglers from fishing.

From Capt. Pete Wagner of Hyper Striper Charters comes word of very good smallmouth, hybrid and largemouth action on Lake Wallenpaupack. Pete told me the early and late day fishing is really seeing some good fishing.

Fishing in the Diamond State served up some good action this past week according to Steve over at Smith Bait and Tackle in Leipsic. He mentioned some good perch and crappie fishing along with a few snakeheads are still being caught in the dam spillways. Garrisons, Massey Mills and other local waters are seeing some post spawn bass on the feed and crappies have taken up their summer pattern of early and late day fishing in most waters.