See every public fishing venue in New Jersey on the map, with boat ramps, camping, parking and full rules for each one.
Spruce Run Reservoir is a public lake in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, managed by New Jersey DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife. It is public water managed for fishing by NJDEP Fish & Wildlife. Public access confirmed via NJDEP Great Fishing Close to Home.
One of the North Jersey Highlands' big drinking-water reservoirs open to fishing (Spruce Run, Merrill Creek, Monksville, Manasquan) — smallmouth and largemouth bass, stocked rainbow and brown trout, and hybrid striped bass, in deep, clear, forested water.
Spruce Run Reservoir covers about 1,342 acres in the Central Jersey region. Anglers here mostly fish for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, brown trout; hybrid striped bass, channel catfish are also on record. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Clinton WMA Pond and Demott Pond (Lingerts Pond).
Species from PiscaMaps water-type profiles, NJDEP Fish & Wildlife trout-stocking records and hand research.
Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in New Jersey on most waters; some park ponds and reservoirs have their own posted hours, and trout-stocked waters have specific in-season closures around stocking days (check the current stocking schedule).
Boats: The big reservoirs and glacial lakes (Round Valley, Spruce Run, Hopatcong, Greenwood, Swartswood, Merrill Creek) take trailered boats via a state ramp, most with a horsepower or electric-only limit; Pine Barrens rivers and smaller lakes are canoe/kayak/car-top.
Bank & bivvy camping: Camp at New Jersey state parks and forests near many of these waters (Round Valley, Swartswood, Stokes, Wharton, Bass River, Belleplain); Wildlife Management Area waters are day-use only.
Tackle: Statewide bass, pickerel and panfish limits apply unless posted; trout water needs the Trout Stamp and follows seasonal and in-season-closure rules, with several fly-fishing-only and catch-and-release special-regulation reaches. Check the current NJ Freshwater Fishing Digest for this water.
Boat ramps: 1 mapped — Boat ramp.
Camping: 1 site mapped nearby — Campsite.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Anyone 16 to 69 needs a New Jersey freshwater fishing licence — the resident annual is about $22.50, the non-resident annual about $34. A Trout Stamp (about $10.50 resident / $20 non-resident) is required in addition to fish for or possess trout. New Jersey residents 70 and older and anyone under 16 fish free. Buy from NJ Fish & Wildlife at nj.gov/dep/fgw. A New Jersey freshwater fishing licence covers this water — it's on NJDEP's 'Great Fishing Close to Home' public-access list.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
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