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Fishing Sylvan Lake: what the data says
14-acre lake near Burlington. The lake tops out around 4 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Sylvan Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Sylvan Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 4 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Sylvan Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 1 to 4 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for fall largemouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Chain Pickerel fishing at Sylvan Lake
Spring chain pickerel on Sylvan Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 4 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 3 ft that scores prime in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Brown Bullhead fishing at Sylvan Lake
Start shallow in spring: brown bullhead sit in 1 to 4 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 3 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | dusk & night | |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday |
Yellow Perch fishing at Sylvan Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 1 to 4 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Common Carp fishing at Sylvan Lake
Spring common carp on Sylvan Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 4 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for winter common carp. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | midday |
Sylvan Lake also holds crappie (1 to 4 ft in summer), bluegill (1 to 4 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 3 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Sylvan Lake?
Sylvan Lake is about 4 ft (1 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 Sylvan Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, yellow perch, common carp, chain pickerel, brown bullhead on Sylvan Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Sylvan Lake?
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Sylvan 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
Deal Lake · Lake Topanemus · Duhernal Lake · Barnegat Bay · East Brunswick Community Park Lake · Etra Lake
See how Sylvan Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Jersey · best crappie lakes in New Jersey · best bluegill lakes in New Jersey · best rainbow trout lakes in New Jersey
Browse all New Jersey fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.