High Crest Lake, New Jersey: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  You will find High Crest Lake in Passaic County, New Jersey. The setting is mixed woodland. It measures about 39 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Shoreline comes to about 1.0 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Kinnelon lies 1.3 miles from the water. Paterson sits 12 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on High Crest Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Open biodiversity records for Passaic County list brown trout, walleye and brook trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At High Crest Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 71°F and January about 26°F. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. The season on High Crest Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. The water borders Apshawa Preserve, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Henion Pond, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on High Crest Lake before loading the car.