Hot Spot: Pemberton Lake - The Fisherman

Hot Spot: Pemberton Lake

map
Map courtesy of the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife. Google “New Jersey Wildlife Management Areas” to learn more.

The 45 acre Pemberton Lake in Burlington County, borne of a former cranberry bog, is located in Pemberton Township off Magnolia Road and is part of the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife’s (Division) 82-acre Pemberton Lake Wildlife Management Area.

An enigma of sorts, the stained complexion of Pemberton (oddly enough it was sometimes described as a clear water lake as recently as the mid-90s) hides flats, slight drop offs, scattered humps, a couple of spots with stickups visible during periods of low water, an island, a few brushpiles, and some laydowns and overhanging brush along the shorelines. Over the years there were a couple of habitat structures like tires and brushpiles put in, but the bottom is a combination of sand, clay, gravel and muck. Vegetation includes patches of bladderwort and filamentous algae. It has a max depth of approximately 6 feet, with a mean reach half that.

Bordered on the opposite side of Magnolia Road by the Pemberton bypass, there is decent shoreline access via cutouts along the banks and during low water it’s possible to walk and work the open banks. There’s a dock with a parking area enough for a half dozen vehicles situated along Magnolia Road. There is also parking available at the gravel boat ramp area on Coleman’s Bridge Road (County Route 616) off Magnolia Road. Power is limited to electric only, and Pemberton is a fave with yak anglers.

Pemberton boasts a solid population of largemouth bass. Electroshocking by the Division’s Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries turned up a few bass in the 4- to 6-pound range, with a good “across the measuring stick” mix of sizes. “Pemberton’s largemouth bass population is steady,” said principal fisheries biologist Chris Smith, adding “Good natural reproduction, and in years past there were a few supplemental stocking of 2- to 3-inch fingerlings to help bolster the future population.”

In addition to the bass, there a thriving population of crappies and sunfish, and good counts of eye-popping pickerel. The forage base consists primarily of shiners, gizzard shad and young of the year sunfish, perch and crappies. Rainbow are also stocked here – once pre-season in March and again three times in season during April – which provide some decent rod bending opportunities well into May. In ‘24, the pre-season load was 550, followed by three doses of 240 each the first three weeks after opening day. The count totaled 1,810 and it looks to be the same this year.

Prime Pemberton times are late February through May, and again mid-October through December; if there’s no ice cover in can last into January. Because of its shallow nature and robust population of Canada geese and their droppings leading to massive nutrient accumulation, the lake is prone to algae blooms during the summer swelter when water temps skyrocket. In fact, there are orange/black Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) advisory posters positioned at various points along the lake shore and in the parking lot along Magnolia Road.

Crappies and yellow perch kick things as March approaches, picking off 1/16- and 1/8-ounce jigheads mated to 2- and 3-inch grub tails. Hair jigs, Crappie Magnets, Mr. Twister Sassy Stingums, and 1-1/2-inch tubes are the early spring fling.  Keep it bright, heads, tails ‘n tubes.

The ‘bows blast Nos. 0-2 size spinners (gold blade), downsized plugs like the 1-1/2- and 2-inch Rapala Minnow, and small spoons such as the Bantamn Syclops. For the bait ’n wait, it’s the brighter Berkley PowerBait and Gulp! doughs and nuggets.

Bass get active by early March and are sometimes on the beds as soon as the first week in April. “Pemberton bass are going to get up and flats and will have beds made as soon as the waters warm in early spring,” advised Layne Ell, president of the Kayak Bass Fishing Club of South Jersey. “They’ll hit 4- and 5-inch wacky rigged Senkos, buzzbaits and spinnerbaits,” noted Ell, adding “Some great topwater fishing with the 110 and 130 Whopper Plopper.”  Other hardware that hammers is the Megabass Vision ONETEN, and the tried ‘n true Rat-L-Trap.

Pickerel?  Chainsides wax anything a bass will if put in front or worked by them!

Pemberton is off limits March 17-April 4 for the pre-season trout stocking and will reopen 8 a.m. April 5.

Over the past 2 years our monthly Hot Spot series in The Fisherman has primarily focused on previously uncovered freshwater options throughout the tristate region, including Beltzville (Jan.), Musconetcong (Dec.), Wells Mills (Oct.) and Mary Elmer Lake (Sept.).  For more detailed Hot Spot coverage, including saltwater spotlights, go to www.thefisherman.com/category/hot-spots.

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