Upper Highland Lake Fishing near Highland Lake, New Jersey

• Overview

  The Sussex County end of New Jersey holds Upper Highland Lake. Height above sea level is 1,273 feet. About 14 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is high ground by New Jersey standards. You are 0.6 miles from Highland Lake. The nearest city of size is Paterson, 24 miles away. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Upper Highland Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Reported across Sussex County: brook trout, brown trout and walleye. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Upper Highland Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 71°F; by January the average is down near 25°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Once it clears, about late March, the fishing comes on quickly. On average, late March opens the water and late December closes it again. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Anyone fishing Upper Highland Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is a mapped slipway roughly half a mile away. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. Public data records a pier about half a mile out. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Lake Wanda, 0.7 miles out. Rules at Upper Highland Lake are worth checking on the day.