South River Fishing Map & Spots (NJ)

Hatch outlook

White mayfly (Ephoron)Active window

Typical here: Jul 10 – Sep 10 · the famous late-summer smallmouth surface event — dusk to dark, ~7:30–9:30pm; starts on the lower Susquehanna below Wrightsville and spreads upriver; fish gorge so hard early that they can be stuffed before the hatch ends

dundusk — the whole life cycle plays out in one evening — females mate, fly miles upstream and fall spent within a couple of hours; when the blizzard is too thick, your fly disappears in the crowd — fish the edges of the swarm
spinnerfull dark, same night

Smallmouth set up in feeding lanes like trout and will not move far — accuracy beats distance.

The best conventional surface window of late summer on smallmouth rivers: small white or bone surface plugs and propbaits in the last hour of light, white inline spinners run upstream through the feeding lanes, or a bubble with a White Wulff.

The event happens over sand- and silt-bottom runs with moderate current, feeding lanes below riffles

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Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at South River

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put South River on the board.

Fishing South River: what the data says

7 km of the South River navigation corridor, with channel depths from USACE hydrographic survey. The river tops out around 18 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

On the chart, South River draws 2,684 acres inside 21.9 miles of shoreline. The 3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Figure 4.9 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.3 mi at the beam. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Duhernal Lake, 3 mi south of here.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at South River

In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 18 ft before dropping to 5 to 18 ft for winter. Winter smallmouth bass concentrate at Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4), a good-rated creek channel around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	5 to 18 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	5 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	5 to 18 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Largemouth Bass fishing at South River

Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 18 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 18 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for fall largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	5 to 18 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	5 to 18 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at South River

Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 18 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 18 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for summer channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)
Summer	5 to 18 ft	night & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)
Fall	5 to 18 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)
Winter	5 to 18 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)

Rainbow Trout fishing at South River

Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 18 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 5 to 18 ft covers summer, 4 to 18 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4), a creek channel in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 18 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	5 to 18 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	5 to 18 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	4 to 18 ft	dawn	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Common Carp fishing at South River

Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4), a creek channel in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	2 to 10 ft	midday & dawn	open water
Summer	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	open water
Fall	5 to 18 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)
Winter	5 to 18 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) (6 ft)

Notable structure

3 pieces of structure are mapped here — Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8), around 12 ft, is the deepest of them.

Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8): creek channel, around 12 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 4.8): creek channel, around 7 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4): creek channel, around 6 ft

South River fishing regulations

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 South River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official New Jersey fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is South River?

South River is about 18 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.

What fish are in South River?

Anglers target smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish, rainbow trout, common carp on South River. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.

Where is the best fishing spot on South River?

Outside-bend hole (mile 0.4) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish South River?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for South River?

Fishing on South 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.

Nearby waters

Duhernal Lake 3 mi · East Brunswick Community Park Lake 4 mi · Raritan River 12 mi · Lake Topanemus 12 mi · Etra Lake 15 mi · Echo Lake 16 mi · Mercer County Park Lake 19 mi · Weequahic Lake 20 mi · Deal Lake 24 mi · Sylvan Lake 25 mi · Prospect Park Lake 26 mi, NY · Round Valley Reservoir 27 mi

See how South 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. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.