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Fishing Swartswood Lake: what the data says
521-acre lake near Swartswood. The lake tops out around 42 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Swartswood Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 11 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Swartswood Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Swartswood Lake
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 13 to 42 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 11 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 13 to 42 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Chain Pickerel fishing at Swartswood Lake
Start shallow in spring: chain pickerel sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for chain pickerel in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Brown Bullhead fishing at Swartswood Lake
Start shallow in spring: brown bullhead sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They move out to 3 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for brown bullhead in spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday |
Yellow Perch fishing at Swartswood Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Swartswood Lake also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), walleye (15 to 35 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 36 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 11 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 11 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft
- Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft
Common questions
How deep is Swartswood Lake?
Swartswood Lake is about 42 ft (13 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.
What fish are in Swartswood Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, yellow perch, chain pickerel, brown bullhead on Swartswood Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Swartswood Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Swartswood Lake?
For rainbow trout, 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.
Nearby waters
White Lake · Cranberry Lake · Ghost Lake · Deer Park Pond · Lake Ocquittunk · Cedar Lake
See how Swartswood Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Jersey · best smallmouth bass lakes in New Jersey · best walleye lakes in New Jersey · best crappie lakes in New Jersey
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