Great Bay, New Jersey: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Great Bay is set in Morris County, New Jersey. Country round the bank runs to mixed woodland. At 10 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Head to Denville, 0.8 miles away, for anything you forgot. It is 16 miles to Paterson, the nearest city. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Great Bay

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Morris County include brown trout, brook trout and northern pike. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Treat Great Bay as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 73°F, while January sits near 27°F. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. It sets the rhythm of the year at Great Bay.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Parking is close: a car park sits half a mile from the bank. A platform or pier sits within half a mile. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Arrowhead Lake is 0.2 miles off. The position on Great Bay is worth confirming on the day.