Canistear Reservoir Fishing Guide, Sussex County, New Jersey

• Overview

  Out in Sussex County, New Jersey, sits Canistear Reservoir. The shore lies 28 miles out. At some 320 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The shoreline runs about 4.0 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Size puts it in the front rank of our Sussex County list. Highland Lake is the closest town at 4.2 miles. After that come Vernon Center at 4.8 miles and Franklin at 5 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Canistear Reservoir

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Sussex County records list brook trout, brown trout, walleye and bluegill among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Canistear Reservoir that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 24°F in January up to 69°F in July. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late March. From about late March to around late December, expect open water on the long-run figures. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. At Canistear Reservoir the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Boat access is recorded roughly half a mile away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Cliffwood Lake, 0.9 miles away. None of that is settled for Canistear Reservoir in what we hold.