Lower Crandon Lake Fishing near Crandon Lakes, New Jersey

• Overview

  Sussex County in New Jersey is where Lower Crandon Lake sits. This is pine and birch ground. Surface area runs to about 10 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Sussex County. Crandon Lakes lies 0.4 miles from the water. Newton is 6.3 miles and Pocono Ranch Lands 6.5 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Lower Crandon Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Open biodiversity records for Sussex County list brook trout, brown trout and walleye. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Treat Lower Crandon Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• 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 lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late March. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late March until roughly late December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Lower Crandon Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Crandon Lakes, 0.7 miles away. None of that is settled for Lower Crandon Lake in what we hold.