Best bluegill lakes in New Jersey
43 New Jersey waters list bluegill (official records or labelled estimates), 38 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic panfish. Shallow cover in summer, deeper weed edges otherwise.
- Spruce Run Reservoir — 76 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Hopatcong — 58 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
- Mercer County Park Lake — 17 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Clinton Reservoir — 47 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Deal Lake — 9 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Newton Lake — 11 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Duhernal Lake — 12 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, BluegillWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Hammonton Lake — 10 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Weequahic Lake — 9 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Absegami — 11 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Cozy Lake — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- White Lake — 46 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Pemberton — 6 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Cedar Lake — 31 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Furnace Lake — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Deer Park Pond — 10 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain PickerelWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Bargaintown Pond — 6 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Topanemus — 8 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Green Turtle Lake — 21 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Shaws Mill Pond — 12 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Big Pine Lake — 7 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Pohatcong Lake — 7 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain PickerelWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Mill Pond — 6 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain PickerelWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Sylvan Lake — 4 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Delaware Lake — 13 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
…plus 18 more New Jersey waters holding bluegill.
Find the closest bluegill waters to you →
How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See New Jersey waters with public access data
When to fish bluegill in New Jersey
- Spring 1–6 ft — Bedding colonies on sandy shallow flats — sight-fish the light spots.
- Summer 4–15 ft — Weed edges and dock shade; bigger 'gills hold slightly deeper.
- Fall 6–18 ft — Schools tighten on remaining green weeds and first drops.
- Winter 10–25 ft — Soft-bottom basins with invertebrates; finesse presentations.
Also in New Jersey: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best striped bass lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best chain pickerel lakes · best brown bullhead lakes · best summer flounder (fluke) lakes · best bluefish lakes · best black sea bass lakes · best tautog (blackfish) lakes
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