Lk. Hopatcong,
NJ Bassin at it's Best

By: Mark Scocco

Lake Hopatcong, nestled between Morris and Sussex counties, is one of the largest lakes totally residing within the state of New Jersey. While it receives heavy fishing pressure, it consistantly produces good numbers of bass along with an occasional fish in the lunker category. The lake hols numerous types of gamefish including laremouth, smallmouth, pickerel, crappie, panfish, catfish, and assorted trout species. It's easy to see why the launch ramps are often crowded on weekends.

The lake has such a variety of bass holding habitat that novice fishermen often wonder where to start. The two main types of cover that consistantly produce bass on Hopatcong are weedbeds and docks. Weedbeds cover a large percentage of the lake and often hold the larger fish. However, the fish may be difficult to locate among the acres of weeds. A key area is where two types of weeds such as coontail and milfoil meet to form an edge. Deeper weedlines such as those found off of Raccoon Island are often in 10-12 feet of water and this is a prime summertime largemouth area. Deep diving crankbaits such as Luhr Jensen's Hot Lips in a shad or crawfish pattern produces some good catches in this type of situation. Plastic worms in the seven inch size also work well. Top worm colors include black, pumpkin, and blue fleck.

Many of the docks around the lake produce fish consistantly but those fish tend to be a little smaller. Some docks can hold some better than average bass but those docks must meet certain requirements. Docks which sit near deeper water (around 6-8') and have additional habitat such as rocks, weeds, or bush nearby are ones to key on. Bait presentation should include a 4" worm, jig-n-pig, or a wacky style worm called a Jersey Rigg. Practice your skip casting and try to get the bait as far back under the docks as possible. The docks are fished heavily and those bass that sit on the outside edges see countless lures every weekend.

An often overlooked pattern on Hopatcong are dropoffs. Dropoffs or sharp depth changes can produce some good caatches of bass in the summertime. An angler must spend some time and have good electronics to locate these areas but it is well worth it. Dropoffs often do not receive the pressure that the docks do so the fish are not as " gun-shy ". Probe these areas with crankbaits, slow-rolled spinnerbaits, plastic worms, and jigs. Once you catch a fish, drop a marker buoy and spend some time in that area. Dropoffs are the type of structure where an angler can run into a bass-bonanza!

Summertime bassin on Hopatcong enables the angler to eliminate a large portion of the lake which simply does not produce well during the hot months. Not to say that these areas don't produce at all, it's just that the larger cancentrations of bass are elsewhere. The Landing area is one such place. It's an excellent springtime fishery, but come the heat of summer, the fishing gets rather difficult. Spend your time on the main lake area or in Woodport. Some of the coves like Great Cove still produce well in the summer. Main lake points like Nolan's point have excellent cover and deep water nearby.

Lake Hopatcong, being one of the largest lakes in the state, attracts many fishermen each weekend. The reasons are the many species of fish, no horsepower restrictions, and available access. However, those are not the only reasons. The lake has some excellent fishing not only for bass but also for other gamefish. In the summer, boattraffic can get heavy so I suggest an early start. Use the tips that I have passed along on your next outing to Lake Hopatcong and I'm sure you will discover the excellent bass fishing that exist in New Jersey's most crowded lake.

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All contents created 1997 by Mark B. Scocco.