Burnham Pond/Fayson Lakes/Morris County

[jwb219]

Hey everyone so I want to really get into freshwater fishing this year now that I am home from college for the summer and have the time to devote myself to get past aimlessly throwing a random lure from the nearest lake's bank hoping something will hit and was hoping for a few pointers. I fished Burnham Pond this morning from 8-10 but with no luck due to all the weeds from the banks on either pond. The upper pond had some absolutely massive trout that were popping through the surface and boy were they pissed off and hungry. The lower pond had a few sunnies and some pretty small bass swimming around. I tried a topwater lizard and a white grub on both ponds but every cast only returned a lure full of weeds and plants. I live in the Montville/Kinnelon/Boonton area and I heard Fayson Lakes could be a good spot. Any help with places to fish/what lures to use would be greatly appreciated. I just happened to be in Morristown today which is why I fished Burnham but closer places would be greatly preferred. Feel free to DM me as well if you don't want to reveal any secrets to the whole world! Thanks in advance for the help everyone!

P.S. I do have a decent amount of fishing experience and am hardly just picking up a rod for the first time. I grew pretty much explicitly saltwater fishing fluke and stripers as my dad was a saltwater guy and we only fished a small amount of freshwater up at our home in Vermont on vacations. We managed to somehow land a few large mouths over the years on a good old classic red devil at Lake Whitingham up there:D

[briansnat]

Fayson Lakes are a great fishery. They have everything in there, walleye, trout, pike, hybrid stripers, channel cats, bass. I've seen an 8 lb brown, a 6 lb rainbow and a 20 lb channel cat come out of there. Saw a pic of a 9 lb walleye caught off the swimming lanes. I bagged a 6 lb hybrid myself there and a good number of bass 4 lbs and up.

BUT, it is a private lake. You need to be a member or the guest of a member. Fishing from the shore is officially not allowed for anybody between 16 and 70 and members do challenge people who they don't recognize.

I lived there for 20 years (until 2015) and miss fishing the place. It was awesome. But you need to befriend a current member to get in there or buy a house or "rock lot". The latter gives you all the benefits of being a member without actually living there.

If you have a canoe, kayak or small boat check out Split Rock Reservoir. Great fishing there but they don't allow shore fishing. You need to carry whatever boat you have about 50 yards to the water from parking. The lake at Silas Condict Park can produce some decent bass and cats and there is plentiful shore fishing. The Rockaway River in Boonton can be pretty good for trout during stocking season and the Pequannock River has trout, including some naturally breeding ones if you know where to look. You are also pretty close to the Newark Watershed reservoirs which have some great fishing if you are willing to spring for the $25 fishing permit (available at their office on Echo Lake Rd., just off Rt 23).

[jwb219]

Fayson Lakes are a great fishery. They have everything in there, walleye, trout, pike, hybrid stripers, channel cats, bass. I've seen an 8 lb brown, a 6 lb rainbow and a 20 lb channel cat come out of there. Saw a pic of a 9 lb walleye caught off the swimming lanes. I bagged a 6 lb hybrid myself there and a good number of bass 4 lbs and up.

BUT, it is a private lake. You need to be a member or the guest of a member. Fishing from the shore is officially not allowed for anybody between 16 and 70 and members do challenge people who they don't recognize.

I lived there for 20 years (until 2015) and miss fishing the place. It was awesome. But you need to befriend a current member to get in there or buy a house or "rock lot". The latter gives you all the benefits of being a member without actually living there.

If you have a canoe, kayak or small boat check out Split Rock Reservoir. Great fishing there but they don't allow shore fishing. You need to carry whatever boat you have about 50 yards to the water from parking. The lake at Silas Condict Park can produce some decent bass and cats and there is plentiful shore fishing. The Rockaway River in Boonton can be pretty good for trout during stocking season and the Pequannock River has trout, including some naturally breeding ones if you know where to look. You are also pretty close to the Newark Watershed reservoirs which have some great fishing if you are willing to spring for the $25 fishing permit (available at their office on Echo Lake Rd., just off Rt 23).

Thanks for the tips! Unfortunately I'm going to be a shore fisherman for the foreseeable future as I don't have the money to buy a kayak or canoe. Good to know that about Fayson Lakes as well.

[MattK]

Shepherds lake is decent and probably not too far away. I think you can rent a row boat there too.

[23cardinal]

Besides the trout and aforementioned spots, lake pio Costa in Lincoln park has tons of shore. U do have to walk along, but it's do able
It's right against the town lake(Lincoln park lake) off ryerson. Used to be pike pickerel bass carp - the usual
Havent been in a few years but I'm sure it's on here somewhere

[Bruce Litton]

Shepherds lake is decent and probably not too far away. I think you can rent a row boat there too.

Shepherd is part of Ringwood State Park and they rent boats--for rowing or a little more expense, electric, but opens at 8:00 a.m., which in our experience, translates to 8:15. It's a state-run operation, after all. At least it used to be very clear, very healthy water and full of pickerel, bass, and even some holdover trout. Perch, sunnies, crappies. Last we went, evidence of the easy solution to heavy weeds--apparently, weed killer colored the water, or rather, the result of healthy weeds reduced to particulate matter. But we still caught a lot of fish.

[Bruce Litton]

If you google Burnham Park Pond fishing you can find a post or two. It used to be excellent "January Thaw" pickerel fishing, and those were good-size fish averaging two pounds.

[buzzbaiter]

If you have a canoe, kayak or small boat check out Split Rock Reservoir. Great fishing there but they don't allow shore fishing. You need to carry whatever boat you have about 50 yards to the water from parking.

Actually shore fishing is now allowed since the state bought 1500+ acres around the res. Its not easy - in fact downright dangerous in spots - with a steep shoreline and cliffs making fishing a challenge.

“This is a magnificent property which offers a wide variety of opportunities for wildlife-associated and other forms of outdoor recreation, including fishing, hunting, birding, canoeing, kayaking and hiking,’’ said the DEP’s Director of Fish and Wildlife Dave Chanda. “Shoreline fishing, birding and hunting, in particular, will be greatly enhanced by this acquisition.’’

[briansnat]

Actually shore fishing is now allowed since the state bought 1500+ acres around the res. Its not easy - in fact downright dangerous in spots - with a steep shoreline and cliffs making fishing a challenge.

That's good to know. I agree that shoreline access can be hairy in many spots. It's a very rocky shore line and steep in many spots. If you are willing to walk though, you can find spots. I've seen people wade out to the big island (it's shallow between the island and shore and may be dry if the reservoir is down a bit). Once on the island you can wade out a bit to give you plenty of casting room.

[acabtp]

Actually shore fishing is now allowed since the state bought 1500+ acres around the res. Its not easy - in fact downright dangerous in spots - with a steep shoreline and cliffs making fishing a challenge.
do you have a link with more info on this acquisition? has it actually gone through? listed owner is still "JERSEY CITY DIV OF WATER % MUN UTIL" according to the tax maps

edit: found the release you quoted, it's from january 2015. i wonder if the transfer didn't actually go through, because the land isn't listed as DEP ownership like every other WMA and the parcels haven't been subdivided.

[UglyStick]

do you have a link with more info on this acquisition? has it actually gone through? listed owner is still "JERSEY CITY DIV OF WATER % MUN UTIL" according to the tax maps

edit: found the release you quoted, it's from january 2015. i wonder if the transfer didn't actually go through, because the land isn't listed as DEP ownership like every other WMA and the parcels haven't been subdivided.

DEP says it was finalized on 12/31/14

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/newsrel/2015/15_0001.htm

[Mark B.]

NJDF&W owns the land surrounding Splitrock Res. & it is considered a Wildlife Management Area.

It is on this list: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/wmaland.htm

All WMA regulations apply.

[UglyStick]

NJDF&W owns the land surrounding Splitrock Res. & it is considered a Wildlife Management Area.

It is on this list: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/wmaland.htm

All WMA regulations apply.

I think the way it is listed is what needs to be updated since it still has the old language of "Access" and no acreage listed

[buzzbaiter]

That's good to know. I agree that shoreline access can be hairy in many spots. It's a very rocky shore line and steep in many spots. If you are willing to walk though, you can find spots. I've seen people wade out to the big island (it's shallow between the island and shore and may be dry if the reservoir is down a bit). Once on the island you can wade out a bit to give you plenty of casting room.

Typical water supply reservoir issues. Pennsylvania has a number of reservoirs open to shoreline fishing only, no boats, swimming, et al. Fishing is quite good if you can find an opening in the bushes and trees that surround them. And where there are openings, your looking at a 45° angle bank. Things do get much better late summer as water levels drop exposing the shoreline.

[buzzbaiter]

http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/pdf/wmamaps/wildcat_ridge.pdf

I emailed NJDEP when the purchase occurred and they confirmed shoreline access all around the reservoir.

[youngdumbandfulloffish]

Fished Burnham for a half hour Friday waiting for my wife to get out of work. Caught one baby pickerel but definitely saw some nicer fish cruisin. If I wouldn't have misplaced my pliers I would kept fishing but after that first pickerel figured it was best just to come back.