New Jersey Striped Bass Fishing

Striped Bass fishing conditions in the Garden State are normally great as many of New Jersey's waters offer good bass fishing conditions. Take for example the Monksville Reservoir, which is considered one of the sleeper waters in the Northern areas of New Jersey. Monksville has really proven itself to be a top bass area in the last few years as the reservoir is managed for walleyes as well as muskies, and has even produced many state records for muskies. But did you know that for the some time now, the reservoir has been overlooked by anglers and fishermen as a great spot for bass fishing?

Another reservoir that's great for striped bass fishing is the Merrill Creek, which has actually earned the reputation as a major bass fishing area. Merrill actually has excellent smallmouth and largemouth bass populations. The lake has an area measuring 650 acres and provides fishermen one of the best deep-water bass fishing areas in the northern portion of New Jersey. Every year actually promises to be a good year for Merrill Creek fishermen, with big-sized smallmouth and largemouth bass surely to be caught and brought at tackle shops for weigh-in everyday.

Carnegie Lake is a body of water located in the central part of New Jersey that likewise offers great bass fishing. The Carnegie stretches for about three miles from the lake's headwaters all the way to the Kingston dam. The lake boasts of excellent food population such as shiners, alewives and gizzard shad. And while dredging has been done on the lake several times in recent years, Carnegie's average depth is only 3 to 6 feet. However, depths of about 8 feet are still found in a few places around the lake. Summer months see the lake as a favorite target for shallow and top water fishermen.

Year after year, New Jersey's Lake Assunpink has produced some of the excellent striped bass fishing in the state, though it is now considered a heavily fished lake. Assunpink has a defined streambed, making it a top place for bass fishing during the winter months. Deep-running crank baits are one of the top producers on the Assunpink during spring and fall. Live bait is another excellent prolific means of angling down the stream channel in the cold-water winter season. The back portion of the lake has been silted in recent years and most of the angling activities taking place there happen during the spawning season.