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Lake Hopatcong Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

New Jersey’s largest lake: Hopatcong holds walleye, hybrid stripers, muskie and bass in the Highlands.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
59 cfs
Air / High
78 / 79 F
Wind
WNW 9 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01455500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Lake Hopatcong sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 59 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind WNW around 9 mph, rising pressure near 1011 hPa and a high of 79. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pikeGood

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perchFair

Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 72 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Musconetcong River at outlet of Lake Hopatcong.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01455500.

35669759 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp78 F
High / Low79 / 66 F
WindWNW 9-17 mph
Pressure1011.0 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain5% cloud, 33%
Sunrise / Sunset06:28 / 19:26
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 79/66 F, wind 12 mph, rain 33%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Hopatcong: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Good most of the year

The great lakes and northern panfish staple. Schools tight to bottom; where you catch one there are fifty. Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

When to come: the Lake Hopatcong calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
Smallmouth bass
Northern pike
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Lake Hopatcong today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 82 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 65 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 80 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

New Jersey requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

New Jersey license. Walleye, muskellunge and hybrid striped bass limits per current NJ Fish and Wildlife regulations.

Access

Hopatcong State Park ramp and shoreline; marinas around the lake with rentals.

About this water

A 2,685-acre lake in Morris and Sussex counties, New Jersey: the largest lake in the state.

Fishing Lake Hopatcong: the full guide

The state’s big lake

Lake Hopatcong covers 2,685 acres in the New Jersey Highlands, the largest lake in the state and a fishery that punches well above its size. New Jersey stocks it heavily: walleye, hybrid striped bass, muskellunge and channel catfish join naturally reproducing largemouth and smallmouth bass, plus crappie, perch and pickerel. Development rings the shoreline, but the fishing remains genuinely good.

Walleye and hybrids

Walleye hold the deeper structure, points and drop-offs: jigs and live bait at dusk and after dark, with spring and fall the strongest windows. Hybrid striped bass school over the open water chasing herring and alewives, providing hard-pulling summer action on jigs and swimbaits. Both fisheries depend on stocking and are actively managed.

Muskie and bass

Muskellunge are stocked and reach good size, worked along the weed edges and drop-offs with large baits, best in fall. Largemouth relate to the docks and weed lines, smallmouth to the rock and deeper structure. Winter ice fishing is a long tradition here, with walleye, pickerel and panfish drawing crowds when conditions allow.

Highlands logistics

The state park at the southern end provides a ramp and shoreline access, with marinas around the lake offering rentals and services. Summer weekends bring heavy recreational traffic given the dense shoreline development: fish early mornings, evenings or the shoulder seasons. The lake sits about an hour west of New York City.

Common questions

What is stocked here?

Walleye, hybrid striped bass, muskellunge and channel catfish, alongside naturally reproducing bass and panfish.

When is walleye fishing best?

Spring and fall at dusk and after dark, working the deeper structure and drop-offs.

How busy does it get?

Very, on summer weekends: dense shoreline development means heavy traffic. Early mornings and shoulder seasons are better.

Is fishing good at Lake Hopatcong right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Swartswood Lake14 miGreenwood Lake22 miMusconetcong River25 miRound Valley Reservoir26 miLake Wallenpaupack44 miSandy Hook46 mi
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