Fishing Report For Monksville Reservoir, NJ

Current Report: Fair To Good

There is a good population of walleye here, and they are quite popular with locals. The large bay near the dam is reported to have the better populations of walleye. Regardless of their desired depth, they primarily feed close to the bottom.

FALL. Fall brought cooler temperatures to shallow water, drawing walleye and baitfish back toward deeper haunts. Walleye continue to be a major draw for anglers. Locals report catching nice walleye on long points, flats along the river and creek channels, structure off shore, and submerged roadbeds and old railroad beds in the basin. Jigs, swimbaits, spoons, crankbaits, jerkbaits, and spinnerbaits are all historically good for catching walleye this time of year. Early and late in the day finds them in 8 to 15 feet of water, mid day they hold 15 to 25 feet deep. Later in Fall, they move out slightly deeper. Dragging jigs, bottom bouncers, or worm harnesses with nightcrawlers or leeches, around ledge drop-offs is catching walleye fairly consistently. Watch for the bigger walleye to be slightly deeper than the majority of the school.

WINTER. This Winter, fishing for walleye has been pretty good through the ice, as it has been for the last few years. Before, during and after the ice, anglers report catching them in the main basin area, in 20 to 50 feet of water, along the Wanaque River channel edges, rocky humps and ledges. Steep drops in the area toward the dam are also producing during these cold months. They primarily feed on small fish, staying close to the bottom. After ice-out blade baits, jigs, swimbaits, spoons, deep-diving crankbaits, and worm harness spinners, all work while deep trolling or drifting.

SPRING. Early Spring brings warming water in the shallows, and draws walleye here to feed, especially rocky areas and inlet channels. In Spring work points, drop offs, submerged structure, rock ledges, shallow flats, mouths of coves, and inflow areas. Here, in 6 to 15 feet deep, they will spawn once the water warms to the mid to high 40's. When they move shallow, bright colored jigs, tipped with minnows or nightcrawlers typically catch them. Spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and crankbaits are also working when walleye are up shallow. Afterwards, they move to 15 to 30 feet deep around creek inlets, shallow rock reefs, windblown rocky points and flats, shoals and ledges, nearby shore. They often stay in close proximity to their spawning locations. Main lake drop offs are producing nice fish.

SUMMER. After Spring, early in the morning, and from dusk to dark are good times to catch walleye, as they move shallow to feed. Water temperatures rise in Summer, and walleye fishing is good if you can get your bait deep enough. Early in Summer, walleye tend to concentrate in 15 to 20 feet of water. Throughout Summer, early in the morning, and from dusk to long after dark are good times to catch walleye. At those times they move slightly shallower to feed in low-light conditions. Night fishing is often good in Summer, as well. The rest of the time they are cruising flats and creek channel edges, 15 to 40 feet deep , preferring the cooler temperatures. When the bite is slow, grubs and nightcrawlers, fished just off the bottom typically catch walleye.

Current Report: Good

The New Jersey state record muskie, over 42 pounds, was caught here in Monksville Reservoir.

FALL. Considered by many avid muskie anglers to be the best time to fish for muskie, Fall finds these predators back in the shallows feeding heavily in preparation for winter. 6 to 25 feet of water is where most muskie are being caught, with warm afternoons being the best time to focus on 10 feet deep structure. Ideal target areas include long points and flats that drop into deeper water. Noisy, flashy, and bright color lures are ideal during this time as they are quite aggressive. Jerkbaits and bass assassins are also a good choice.

WINTER. Ice fishing for muskie this past winter was quite successful. As Winter chills the water, muskie move deeper and hold on structure in 25 to 60 feet of water. Ideal target areas include the main river channel, deep humps, and ledges around the dam and central basin. Ice fishing can be productive when the ice is safe, but muskie are being caught all through cold-winter season. Cold water causes muskie to be less active in winter, due to slowed metabolism. Slow moving, or motionless presentations are in order. Jigging spoons, ciscoes, shiners and suckers are favorites of muskie enthusiasts.

SPRING. Muskie move from their deep wintering habitat into shallow bays and flats for Spring spawning. They prowl 3 to 18 feet deep, once water temperatures get into the 50's. Noisy, flashy, and bright color lures are ideal during this time as they are very aggressive. After the spawn is over and water temperatures rise, concentrate on weed lines, and drop-offs along the edges of weedy flats 4 to 12 feet deep. Big spinners, top water, Johnson spoons, and Johnson spoons will all attract hungry muskie.

SUMMER. Early and late in the day, muskie cruise shallower cover in search of food in 6 to 15 feet of water. During mid day they prefer the cooler water 12 to 40 feet deep. Ledges, reefs, weedbeds, islands and channel edges are the primary areas to find muskie during the warmer months of Summer. Some of the larger muskie may also suspend in open water, just outside these areas. Trolling or drift fishing reportedly produces some nice catches, using spoons, big spinners and deep diving crankbaits.

Current Report: Good

Not necessarily known for big bass, Monksville Reservoir still delivers a lot of fish between 2 lbs and 4 lbs. A wide variety of other lures are also catching bass here as well. Vibrating jigs, jerkbaits and stick worms, rigged wacky style, are all catching their share.

FALL. Now that late Fall taking over, bass are moving out of shallow coves and shallow bays, following schools of baitfish back into 6 to 20 feet of water. Plastic worms are solid bait here and catch a lot of bass. Currently jerkbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, slow-rolled spinnerbaits, artificial worms, spoons and jigs are catching most of the bass. Later in Fall, as deeper water cools, bait and bass move out to ledges, channel edges, points and humps where flutter spoons, jigs and drop shots are often good choices in 12 to 20 feet of water.

WINTER. Due to ice through the winter, bass fishing has been slow, but is getting ready for the Spring bonanza when bass move shallow to feed and spawn. Winter will isolate largemouth around slightly deeper structure, flats, points and creek channels. They can be found from 8 to 25 feet deep, around main-lake channel edges, rock piles, stump fields, brush piles, rocky shorelines and deeper pockets nearby the dam and in the central basin. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring. Slow presentations are key to getting bites. On warmer days, especially during late afternoons, bass may move shallower to feed.

SPRING. Once water temperatures rise into the low 60's, largemouth will move from deep wintering holes, to shallower water nearby spawning areas. Great areas to search include shallow flats, points, wooded shorelines, protected coves, cove mouths, and inflow areas. Anglers report good topwater action from mid Spring through Summer, especially early in the morning, and on cloudy days. Vibrating jigs, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits typically get bites just away from the shoreline. At this time they are feeding aggressively in about 3 to 12 feet of water, and preparing for the spawn. Once water warms into the mid to high 60's, they will move into 1 to 6 feet of water, and create nests, then lay their eggs. Immediately afterwards, females move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move to slightly deeper water, around 6 to 18 feet deep. Deep-diving crankbaits, vibrating jigs, plastic worms, jigs, worms, and swimbaits catch bass during this period.

SUMMER. Water temperatures will warm considerably in Summer. Bass will feed shallow, early and late in the day, where they will be caught in 4 to 12 feet of water, on topwater lures, square-bill crankbaits, spinnerbaits and a variety of other lures. Wacky-rigged stick worms always catch finicky bass when the bite is slow. Largemouth bass here feed on shad, herring, small sunfish and crawfish. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, channel edges, and ledges 15 to 30 feet deep. Some of the best reports seem to be from anglers fishing around steep rocky banks, weedlines, and ledges along the main channel close to drop offs.