Fishing access for the south branch rahway and robinson branch?

[DanPrk]

I wanna do some creek fishing this spring and summer but from the pictures I've seen the whole river/stream/branch seems way too shallow. But on fishbrain there are people catching bass out of the robinson branch. So if anyone has any spots on the river it would be much appreciated. Or just any fishable spots on the rahway river in the edison, clark, and colonia area.

[Thawk1021]

River Rd across from Rahway Park. Also above and below Milton Lake.

[thmyorke1]

from what i understand with the few trips to the rahway NB is that it's a small creek that sometimes has a hole here and there. Think bridges and anything noticable via satellite. I suspect the bass and fish move around once water floods but keep to the deep holes or wherever they can hide between the shallow stuff.

The ponds around the system are also probably hosting most of the fish and maybe you'll find them around spillways.

Now's a good time to investigate with less plants to bushwack through etc. You can find something no one else fishes and get the less pressured fish.

because it's also mostly suburban you're gonna have to rely on street parking and public parks

[phil]

Originally Posted by DanPrk

I wanna do some creek fishing this spring and summer but from the pictures I've seen the whole river/stream/branch seems way too shallow. But on fishbrain there are people catching bass out of the robinson branch. So if anyone has any spots on the river it would be much appreciated. Or just any fishable spots on the rahway river in the edison, clark, and colonia area.

that stuff you see on the maps in colonia and edison isnt really fishable or worth checking out imo

theres a lot of info on here if you run a search, if youre fishing it in summer it can be really shallow if it hasnt rained in awhile. if it just rained, it can be a raging mudpile. ideally youd fish it sometime in between flood and drought.

i would caution anyone who wants to check it out now that its closed for stocking, and F&G are literal nazis with anyone they see near the water even when youre with a 5 year old fishing for sunnies. sorry, im still bitter about that guy.

[ALS Mako]

Just drive around following the river as best you can and you will find spots. Go after openning day of trout season and you will see people fishing.

[Drossi]

The section at Nomaheghan park off Kenilworth Blvd used to get trout stocked pretty heavy. Easily fished from shore in multiple spots. Decent depth and but not a whole lot of current. They also stock it in a park near where Morris Ave intersects with Springfield ave.

[Billfish715]

The Robinson's Branch flows into the Middlesex Reservoir which is now owned by Clark Township. The upper reaches in the Clark/Westfield area is not what I would call a great fishing area. There is a small kayak launch tucked away in that area. Shoreline fishing is a bust up there. There is none to speak of.

Below the reservoir, by Madison Hill Road, there is a continuation of the Robinson's Branch that is trout stocked. It eventually flows into Milton Lake which is also stocked. There is shoreline access from the Lake Avenue side in Colonia/Rahway and several spots on the Rahway side. The stream is overgrown above the lake and there are a few small river sized bass in there along with a variety of what some people would refer to as trash fish. There is also plenty of good old fashioned trash along the banks and in the bushes as well. You have to check out the access because there are some parking restrictions along the local roads.

Below the dam there is another section of the the same branch that is accessible. If you don't mind fishing for sunnies, suckers, fallfish, chubs, small catfish and whatever may have spilled over the dam, you can have a ball. Bait fishing is the way to go along with small hooks and very light line.

If you continue along the roads that cross the river or parallel it as it weaves through the neighborhood, it will take you to the junction of the Rahway river. You can fish the Rahway River downstream of St. George's Ave. right into Rahway. You never know what you might catch but don't expect anything too exciting even though trout are stocked in the river upstream in the park.

Try Jackson's Falls above the park. If you are exploring, you might as well check out that area as well. If you want to, you can keep going upstream all the way to the Parkway by Winfield. Again, the Rahway is what it is. Trout are put and take and a lot will be taken on opening day and the following week. There will not be any more putting for the rest of the season. All 12,00 trout will be stocked during the preseason period. You can find some holes below the dam at Winfield where the river does have a bit of a flow.

Forget Google Maps. It only shows you that there is water. You have to do the leg work yourself. There's always Roosevelt Park in Edison by Menlo Park. When we were kids (8,9,10 years old or so) river fishing for mostly trash fish in the Rahway or Robinson's Branch was lots of fun. Don't get your expectations raised too high and you will enjoy yourself as you fish along those waterways. Trout are the big attraction early in the season, but by the time summer comes along, break out the small hooks and worms if you are fishing in the streams.

[Billfish715]

You did mention a desire to do some creek fishing. The Rahway and its tributaries is far from "creek-like" in the typical sense of the word. There are always places where the river takes on the characteristics of a pond. In those cases, you can always find largemouth bass and catfish. Again, much of the upper parts of the Robinson's Branch has very little access.

You certainly can find fish to catch but the wider, more pond-like stretches will provide larger fish and more variety. There simply is very, very little stream/creek flow in most areas except for areas below some of the dams. If you are thinking of creeks and expecting those creeks to have any current or flow, you'll be disappointed.

What kinds of fish are you expecting to catch? There are plans to develop the reservoir in Clark for recreational activities including fishing. Here's the BUT......access is going to be limited.

[Jigman13]

my buddy caught a nearly 8 lb largemouth in Milton a few years back. it was mid-November during the first flurries of the fall/winter. I also caught them over 5 lbs in milton lake too. They're in there. It holds big fish. You gotta know where to look and time it right. Watch for ticks.

I've never seen fallfish below the dam. I've rarely seen suckers. Lots of killies, sunfish, bass that washed over, eels and bullheads and sometimes huge schools of gizzard shad. I dont think the water quality and water temps are cool or clean enough to support suckers and fallfish.

I cut my teeth fishing there when I moved to Colonia in 96'. That's where i spent my first opening day trout debacle. Guys were legit camping in tents to hold a spot down. I vividly remember the insane volume of trash left on the shoreline on the lake ave side of the place. Grotesque...

[Billfish715]

As for suckers and fall fish, don’t look for anything big or even medium. Again, as kids, we used to hone our fishing skills along those same creeks and tributaries for whatever would bite. It didn’t matter what it was or how small. There were times we used fine wire hooks in sizes 16-18 if we could get them to catch oversized chubs, baby catfish, shiners or whatever was in any of the holes.

We rode balloon-tired bikes early in the mornings to exotic places along the Rahway River armed with solid fiberglass spinning rods and Airex or Mitchell 300 reels, coffee cans filled with hand-dug or picked worms, landing nets, waxed paper wrapped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chain stringers, pen knives and some assorted terminal tackle stuffed into an Old Pal tackle box.

We must have been quite the sight. But, I digress. When the topic of creek fishing came up, it just took me back.