Shuster Pond Fishing near Hardwick, New Jersey

• Overview

  Set in Sussex County, Shuster Pond is a New Jersey water. Around the bank it is farm and woodlot. It covers about 18 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The town to know is Hardwick, 2.7 miles out. Paterson sits 39 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Shuster Pond

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Public occurrence data for Sussex County names brook trout, brown trout and walleye. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Take Shuster Pond a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 71°F in July and bottom out at 25°F in January. The year gives four workable seasons without severe ends. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. It sets the rhythm of the year at Shuster Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. The mapped parking is Shuster Pond Preserve Parking, half a mile away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Catfish Pond, 1.1 miles out. Check the position at Shuster Pond before loading the car.