Hughs Pond, New Jersey: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Sussex County in New Jersey is where Hughs Pond sits. The shore lies 35 miles out. Small at around 4 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Sussex County. Lake Mohawk sits 2.1 miles from the bank. For a city, Paterson is 27 miles off. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Hughs Pond

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Sussex County names brook trout, brown trout and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Hughs Pond fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 71°F and January at 25°F. Some winters cap it and some do not. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. The season on Hughs Pond rarely departs from it. Water temperature lags the air by a week or so.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Access is marked private in mapping, so check before you cross anything. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Stag Pond sits 0.5 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Hughs Pond in what we hold.