Deer Trail Lake Fishing near Franklin, New Jersey

• Overview

  Deer Trail Lake stands in Sussex County, New Jersey. It sits in pine and birch country. Small at around 9 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Sussex County are larger. The closest town, Franklin, is 2.7 miles distant. Hamburg follows at 3.5 miles, then Ogdensburg at 4.2 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Deer Trail Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Sussex County records list brook trout, brown trout, walleye and bluegill among the fish reported. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. At Deer Trail Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 24°F to 70°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Once it clears, about late March, the fishing comes on quickly. Climate averages put the opening at about late March and the closing near late December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan around that when you fish Deer Trail Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Fawn Lake is 0.2 miles off. Check the position on Deer Trail Lake before loading the car.