Lake Wanda Fishing near Highland Lake, New Jersey

• Overview

  You will find Lake Wanda in Sussex County, New Jersey. Height above sea level is 1,171 feet. Around 38 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. By elevation it is in the upper part of our New Jersey listings. Start from Highland Lake, 0.4 miles down the road. Beyond it, Vernon Center at 2.7 miles and Vernon Valley at 4.2 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Lake Wanda

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Sussex County include brook trout, brown trout, walleye and bluegill. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Lake Wanda rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 71°F; the cold one sits at 25°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Once it clears, about late March, the fishing comes on quickly. Open water usually runs from late March until about late December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That is the shape of the year on Lake Wanda.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. A launch point is recorded some half a mile off. Parking is close: a car park sits half a mile from the bank. A platform or pier sits within half a mile. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. East Highland Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. For Lake Wanda in particular, ask before you travel.