Garrison Lake Fishing near Clayton, New Jersey

• Overview

  Look for Garrison Lake in the Gloucester County part of New Jersey. It stands 108 feet above sea level. It measures about 40 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. About 1.1 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Few waters listed in Gloucester County are bigger. Clayton at 2.8 miles is the nearest place to stop. Elmer is 3.3 miles away, with Glassboro at 5 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Garrison Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Gloucester County include bluegill, pumpkinseed and redbreast sunfish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Take Garrison Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 75°F in July and bottom out at 32°F in January. Fishing continues through most of the calendar, with quiet spells rather than closures. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. That is the shape of the year on Garrison Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Silver Lake is 1.9 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Garrison Lake for certain.