Skylands of New Jersey Tourism Council


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Water Sports

FishingTrout

Trout fishing is extremely popular in the region, with lots of opportunities for catching stocked and holdover as well as wild trout. In addition to naturally occurring trout populations, the Division of Fish and Wildlife distributes more than 770,000 brook, brown and rainbow trout into some 200 waterbodies across the state each year. Stocked trout are normally cooperative and relatively easy to catch.
Photo: Art Charlton Lunkers on display at the Pequest Hatchery in Oxford.

Good lake trout fisheries have been established at Round Valley Reservoir and Merrill Creek Reservoir where they can be caught throughout the year. One of the simplest ways to fish for lake trout from a boat is to anchor or slowly drift using a live herring positioned a foot or two off the bottom. A more sophisticated method is to use electronic fish finders and vertically jig or troll using downriggers. Lakers are occasionally caught from shore in the early spring.

Shad and Striped Bass
Early each spring, a generation of shad and striped bass returns from the Atlantic Ocean to their fresh water origins to spawn. A shad fisher who locates the procession's core can follow it up the Delaware River for weeks of great fishing. Spawning begins somewhere a little south of the Water Gap and it is here that the schools begin to linger, building a season that runs from mid April well into late June. Shad darts are used on spin-casting rods from shore and, to great advantage, boats. Heavier fishing tackle is required for striped bass angling. A medium to medium-heavy 6-7 foot rod spooled with 10 to 20 pound test line is a good choice.

Hybrid Striped Bass, Walleye
The hybrid striped bass was developed in the mid-'60s by crossing a striped bass with a white bass. Known for its strength and fighting ability once hooked, the hybrid bass provides excellent sport fishing year round as well as some very good table fare. Hybrids have been stocked in Lake Hopatcong and Spruce Run Reservoir.

The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife has stocked walleye in Lake Hopatcong since 1991 with Swartswood Lake added in 1992 and the Delaware River in 1995.

Muskellunge
This elusive king of freshwater predators can grow in excess of fifty inches in length and weigh over forty pounds. Muskie fishing generally starts in the late spring as warming water increases the fish's metabolic activity and has them on the lookout for their favorite prey: chubs, suckers, carp, and eels. Specialized tackle is needed, a medium-heavy casting rod with thirty-pound test, low-stretch line and a high quality steel leader. The Delaware River and Mountain Lake in Warren County will prove productive.

Carp
Countless lakes, rivers, ponds and streams hold carp, which, contrary to their reputation as "trash" fish, are worthy adversaries. Carp are strong, smart, and big. They eat only fresh food: corn kernels, maggots, or a bit of dough. Some anglers use a floating chunk of bagel or bread, both of which are taken off the surface of the water by carp in a huge inhale.

Photo: Billy Friedman caught this 47 lb. carp in the South Branch of the Raritan River in 1995.

Ice Fishing
You can ice fish on such impoundments as Lake Hopatcong, Lake Wawayanda, Swartswood Lake, Paulinskill Lake, Cranberry Lake, Lake Musconetcong, Budd Lake, Mountain Lake, or any other frozen body of water where you can gain public access. Safe ice takes longer to form on the bigger and deeper lakes and reservoirs, but ice 10-20 inches thick can eventually accumulate.

Fishing Resource

Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center
See where all the trout are raised and how it's done. There are continuous programs about the importance of natural resources, fishing education, and self-guided tours. Operated by the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife, the center is located within the 4,000-acre Pequest Wildlife Management Area. Open daily.
605 Pequest Rd., Oxford 07863-9748 908/637-4125

Canoe and Kayak
New Jersey is well known for its canoeable rivers, but nowhere in New Jersey is there a greater diversity of canoeing/kayaking experiences than in the Skylands. On one extreme, quiet paddling can be found on the Delaware, the Delaware &Raritan Canal, Raritan River South Branch, Millstone and the Passaic rivers. More excitement can be found in the spring, and after rainy spells, on the Paulinskill, Pequest, upper South Branch, and selected portions of the Delaware. For folks interested in something in-between, there are the North Branch (Raritan), Musconetcong and Lamington rivers. But, with or without the added excitement of white-water, each river offers its own special brand of melodrama.
Photo: Somerset County Environmental Education Center

Canoe and Kayak Resources

Garden State Canoe Club
The club provides paddling instruction, safety training organized, paddling trips, newsletters, social events, and great times.

Hunterdon Canoe Club
Planned trips and monthly meetings with presentations.

Somerset County Park Commission
Trips and instructional programs designed for adults and families. Equipment, transportation and staff provided. 908/766-2489

Griggstown Canoe Rental
Whether you paddle for an hour or all day, we have canoes and a variety of kayaks to fit everyone. The D&R Canal State Park, adjacent to the Canoe Rental, has picnic tables and hiking and bike riding trails. Enjoy the beauty of this once busy waterway, perfect for beginners and families. The more adventurous can try one of our Millstone River D&R Canal Loops.
1076 Canal Road, Griggstown -- 908-359-5970