Lake Ashroe in Sussex County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake Ashroe is a Sussex County water, New Jersey side. The surface lies 807 feet up. It runs to roughly 42 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 1.1 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Crandon Lakes at 4.1 miles is the nearest place to stop. Pocono Ranch Lands lies 7.1 miles off, Birchwood Lakes another 7.4 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Lake Ashroe

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Survey and observation records for Sussex County include brook trout, brown trout, walleye, bluegill and pumpkinseed. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Lake Ashroe fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 70°F at the top of summer and 24°F at the bottom of winter. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late March. In an average year the thaw lands around late March and the freeze near late December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Anyone fishing Lake Ashroe regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Kittatinny Lake at 0.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Lake Ashroe before loading the car.