Lake Emma Fishing in Morris County, New Jersey

• Overview

  Set in Morris County, New Jersey, this is Lake Emma. Height above sea level is 1,020 feet. It covers about 10 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Compared with other New Jersey water on our list, it sits high. Lake Telemark lies 2.1 miles from the water. It is 17 miles to Paterson, the nearest city. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Lake Emma

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Morris County records list brown trout, brook trout and northern pike among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Fish Lake Emma where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 26°F at the bottom of winter. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. That is the shape of the year on Lake Emma.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. The water borders Farny State Park, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Egbert Lake, 0.9 miles away. Check the position at Lake Emma before loading the car.