Upper Erskine Lake near Ringwood: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Upper Erskine Lake is one of the Passaic County waters in New Jersey. The bank is 505 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 33 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Head to Ringwood, 1.1 miles away, for anything you forgot. Paterson sits 13 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Upper Erskine Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Species logged across Passaic County include brown trout, walleye and brook trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Upper Erskine Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 72°F and January at 26°F. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Upper Erskine Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• 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. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Lake Erskine, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Upper Erskine Lake.