New Jersey Landlocked Salmon

[CastingClinic]

Jersey boys!

 

According to NJDEP we have four lakes that are stocked with salmon: Merril Creek, Wawayanda, Aeroflex, and Tilcon.

 

I've been looking around for info on tactics and techniques to target them now that fall is coming in full swing. I'm interested if anyone has any hands-on experience targeting the salmon in these particular NJ lakes.

 

Seems like tactics can vary greatly: flys and fly rods, jigging spoons, live bait on a downrigger, flat lining spinnerbaits, slip bobber rigs, etc. 

 

As for targeting them, any tips on determining location and depth?  These lakes are all very deep, mostly featureless and I'm quite lost when sitting in 30+ft of water let alone 100ft.

 

I guess the point of my question is that I can find plenty of general info on landlocked salmon fishing but I'm curious if there are any particulars to these lakes and these NJ salmon.

 

Tight lines!

[webertime]

We have a few similar lakes in VT.  Salmon love the cold water in the thermocline, step one is to find that.  They eat fish so whatever smelt/bait need to be present. Next step... troll away baby.

 

If you're fishing from shore you'll be out there late November til ice (if you have any).  On Champlain we shore fish for them November through ice.  They do have a small run up the Winooski river out of the lake right now (might be passed).  If there are creeks flowing into/out of your lakes hit those now or very soon.

 

I've had the best luck with spoons and flies with a flasher above the fly.  Inline spinners work well too.

 

Good luck man.

[casts_by_fly]

Tilcon will be tough. Not many in it from what I understand and it’s a bugger to walk a kayak back in to it. Solid 150-200 yard drag. 

Merill is a neat lake but the hours put me off. I always want to be on the water well before the gates open. Might not matter as much for salmon. 
 

I hear good things for aeroflex for landlocks. When it gets cold the salmon come up shallow and guys troll spoons and spinners in <10’. Drifting alewifes in the same zone works too. 

[CastingClinic]

@casts_by_fly

 

Thats the main reason I haven't fished Merril Creek yet.  Its already a hike for me and then not being able to hit sunrise (or sunset for that matter) really irks me.

[LootyDjibouti]

Wow I moved here a couple years back and had no idea they stocked lakes with salmon. But I'm way down in south jersey so that's probably why I can't imagine salmon fishing here. I've gone salmon fishing on Lake Michigan and we stocked our freezer for months. 

How did it go?

[CastingClinic]

3 hours ago, LootyDjibouti said:

How did it go?

 

Didn't get around to it this year.  Each of the stocked lakes is a bit out of the way for me and I just never found any time away from chasing bass.

 

They're on my radar and springtime will present another opportunity. 

[casts_by_fly]

6 hours ago, LootyDjibouti said:

Wow I moved here a couple years back and had no idea they stocked lakes with salmon. But I'm way down in south jersey so that's probably why I can't imagine salmon fishing here. I've gone salmon fishing on Lake Michigan and we stocked our freezer for months. 

How did it go?

 

There are a ton of salmon and trout opportunities here that you'd never think of.  Atlantic salmon go into a half dozen lakes and hold over year to year.  There are lake trout in a couple more.  All of the lakes that have those also get stockings of rainbow and brown trout which get pelagic in those lakes.  Certainly some big ones are caught every year.  You're talking about lakes that go well over 100' of water and in the case of Merrill over 200'.  This time of year is supposedly the best time too for shore guys because the trout/salmon will cruise up close in < 10' of water (even at round valley).  In the summers they will be well offshore following bait.  Last time I fished round valley I marked TONS of fish at 50-75' depth in 100-125 total fow.  That's downrigger territory there.

 

2 hours ago, CastingClinic said:

 

Didn't get around to it this year.  Each of the stocked lakes is a bit out of the way for me and I just never found any time away from chasing bass.

 

They're on my radar and springtime will present another opportunity. 

 

If you head over this way, drop me a line.