Fishing at Barry Lakes, Sussex County, New Jersey

• Overview

  Barry Lakes is a Sussex County water, New Jersey side. Height above sea level is 1,201 feet. It measures about 44 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. By elevation it is in the upper part of our New Jersey listings. The nearest town is Highland Lake, 1.7 miles away. Vernon Center is 3.5 miles and Vernon Valley 3.7 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Barry Lakes

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Sussex County include brook trout, brown trout, walleye, bluegill and pumpkinseed. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The near bank of Barry Lakes is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 71°F and January reads 25°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late March. Average temperatures cross freezing around late March in spring and again near late December in autumn. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Barry Lakes that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. Picnic facilities are recorded some 0.9 miles out. There are toilets half a mile off. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Wawayanda Lake at 1.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Barry Lakes before loading the car.