Ramapo Lake near Oakland: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Ramapo Lake is a Bergen County water, New Jersey side. The setting is farm and woodlot. At about 95 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. On our Bergen County list it sits near the top for size. Nearest place of any size is Oakland, 1.7 miles away. Paterson is the closest city, 9.3 miles away. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Ramapo Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Records held for Bergen County cover bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown trout and largemouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Treat Ramapo Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 73°F and January near 27°F on the long-run figures. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Plan any trip to Ramapo Lake around it. Warm rain lifts activity; cold rain flattens it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Crystal Lake, 1 mile out. Nothing on Ramapo Lake should be assumed from this page alone.