Lake Iliff Fishing near Newton, New Jersey

• Overview

  In New Jersey, Lake Iliff falls inside Sussex County. It lies 587 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 32 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge runs 2.0 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Nearest place of any size is Newton, 2.7 miles away. For a city, Paterson is 29 miles off. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Lake Iliff

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name brook trout, brown trout, walleye, bluegill and pumpkinseed. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Lake Iliff gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 71°F; the cold one sits at 25°F. The season stretches long at both ends here. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. At Lake Iliff the season follows that pattern closely. Nights draw in quickly late in the season, so plan the walk back.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Clearwater Lake is 0.9 miles off. Where Lake Iliff is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.