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Best channel catfish lakes in New Jersey

12 New Jersey waters hold channel catfish, 11 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Scent-driven bottom feeder. Holes, channels and inflows — best after dark.

1. Spruce Run Reservoir — 76 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
2. Mercer County Park Lake — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
3. Clinton Reservoir — 47 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
4. Deal Lake — 9 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
5. Weequahic Lake — 9 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
6. Lake Absegami — 11 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
7. Cozy Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
8. Furnace Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
9. Lake Topanemus — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
10. Raritan River — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout
11. East Brunswick Community Park Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish
12. Greenwich Lake — 33 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish

When to fish channel catfish in New Jersey

• Spring 3–12 ft — Warm inflows and shallow mud flats after rain.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Deep holes by day; cats roam shallow flats to feed at night.
• Fall 10–30 ft — Fish concentrate in river/creek channels and deeper holes.
• Winter 20–40 ft — Stacked in the deepest holes; slow natural baits.

Also in New Jersey: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes

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