Summit Lake, New Jersey: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Summit Lake is one of the Sussex County waters in New Jersey. Tidal water begins 31 miles from here. About 12 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Our Sussex County list holds plenty of bigger water. Head to Franklin, 2.8 miles away, for anything you forgot. It is 23 miles to Paterson, the nearest city. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Summit Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Fish documented in Sussex County include brook trout, brown trout and walleye. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Summit Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 70°F; the cold one sits at 24°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late March. Average temperatures cross freezing around late March in spring and again near late December in autumn. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. On Summit Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Tamarack Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Summit Lake as something to verify.