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Branchburg to New Brunswick: stocked trout up top, smallmouth and channel cats through the middle. The river tops out around 10 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
On the chart, Raritan River draws 432 acres inside 37 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 12.7) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. End to end it runs roughly 14 mi, about 3.1 mi across. The water lies in Somerset County. For a second option, East Brunswick Community Park Lake lies 10 mi southeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 10 ft through summer, 3 to 10 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Riffle & run (mile 15.0), a rock pile in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 15.0) (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 15.0) (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 15.0) (4 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 11.9) (6 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 10 ft covers summer, 3 to 10 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Duke Island Park slack water, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Duke Island Park slack water (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Duke Island Park slack water (4 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Island Farm Weir (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Island Farm Weir (6 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 10 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 10 ft covers summer, 3 to 10 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Island Farm Weir, a creek channel in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 11.9) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Island Farm Weir (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Island Farm Weir (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Island Farm Weir (6 ft) |
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 10 ft, and they winter in 2 to 10 ft. Spring rainbow trout concentrate at Creighton Lake Dam tailrace, a prime-rated dam tailrace around 9 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Creighton Lake Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Island Farm Weir (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Creighton Lake Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft | dawn | Creighton Lake Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, common carp run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 10 ft, and they winter in 3 to 10 ft. Spring common carp concentrate at Duke Island Park slack water, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Duke Island Park slack water (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Duke Island Park slack water (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Duke Island Park slack water (4 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 11.9) (6 ft) |
Raritan River carries 23 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Creighton Lake Dam tailrace, about 9 ft down.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Jersey waters are set by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Raritan River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Jersey fishing regulations →
Raritan River is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish, rainbow trout, common carp on Raritan River.
Riffle & run (mile 15.0) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Raritan River is regulated by the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife. Check the official New Jersey regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
East Brunswick Community Park Lake 10 mi · South River 12 mi · Duhernal Lake 13 mi · Echo Lake 15 mi · Round Valley Reservoir 15 mi · Mercer County Park Lake 19 mi · Etra Lake 19 mi · Spruce Run Reservoir 22 mi · Weequahic Lake 22 mi · Lake Topanemus 23 mi · Budd Lake 26 mi · Duck Pond 26 mi
See how Raritan River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Jersey · best smallmouth bass lakes in New Jersey · best channel catfish lakes in New Jersey · best rainbow trout lakes in New Jersey
Browse all New Jersey fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.