Hospitality Lake Fishing near Collings Lakes, New Jersey

• Overview

  Hospitality Lake lies in Atlantic County, New Jersey. It sits in mixed woodland. Roughly 26 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Collings Lakes lies 0.6 miles from the water. Philadelphia sits 28 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Hospitality Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Atlantic County cover chain pickerel, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass and yellow perch. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Hospitality Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 75°F, the coldest about 32°F. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. It holds true on Hospitality Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Parking is mapped about 170 yards from the bank. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Braddock Lake, 0.4 miles away. Ask locally about Hospitality Lake if anything is unclear.