Chatsworth Lake, New Jersey: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In New Jersey, Chatsworth Lake belongs to Burlington County. It sits 19 miles in from the sea. With some 79 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Bank access stretches around 1.4 miles in total. Size puts it in the front rank of our Burlington County list. The town to know is Presidential Lakes Estates, 6.6 miles out. Country Lake Estates is 8.6 miles away, with Leisuretowne at 9.7 miles. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Chatsworth Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Reported across Burlington County: pumpkinseed, bluegill, largemouth bass, chain pickerel and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Read Chatsworth Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 32°F to 74°F. Conditions shift steadily rather than sharply. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Chatsworth Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern. Warm spells bring fish up, cold snaps push them down.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Pakim Pond at 4.3 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at Chatsworth Lake are worth checking on the day.