Van Nostrand Lake Fishing Guide, Passaic County, New Jersey

• Overview

  Look for Van Nostrand Lake in the Passaic County part of New Jersey. The setting is mixed woodland on every side. The water measures roughly 11 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. By elevation it is in the upper part of our New Jersey listings. Kinnelon lies 2.4 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is Paterson, 14 miles away. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Van Nostrand Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Passaic County include brown trout, walleye, brook trout, bluegill and largemouth bass. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. At Van Nostrand Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 26°F at the bottom of winter. Fishing continues through most of the calendar, with quiet spells rather than closures. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Anyone fishing Van Nostrand Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. The water borders Apshawa Preserve, so reserve rules are likely to apply. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Mountain Springs Lake is 0.4 miles off. The position on Van Nostrand Lake is worth confirming on the day.