Echo Lake, New Jersey: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Echo Lake stands in Passaic County, New Jersey. The shore lies 25 miles out. At some 281 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Some 3.9 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. On our Passaic County list it sits near the top for size. Some 4.6 miles away sits Kinnelon, the nearest settlement. Butler is 5.3 miles away, with West Milford at 5.4 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Echo Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Records held for Passaic County cover brown trout, walleye, brook trout, bluegill and largemouth bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Echo Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 26°F at the bottom of winter. A lid forms in a hard winter only. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. That is the shape of the year on Echo Lake. Water temperature lags behind air temperature by days, not hours.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. The nearest mapped parking is 0.9 miles away, so the last stretch is on foot. Part of this sits inside or beside Newark (Pequannock) Watershed, so read the notices. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Sunset Lake is 1.3 miles off. For Echo Lake in particular, ask before you travel.