Share your catch

Round Valley Reservoir Fishing Report

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

New Jersey’s deep secret: 180 feet of clear water hiding state-record lake trout and browns an hour from Manhattan.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
83 / 84 F
Wind
WNW 11 mph

Sources: 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.

Round Valley Reservoir sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings clear skies, wind WNW around 11 mph, rising pressure near 1011 hPa and a high of 84. 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

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.

Lake troutFair

Transition depths: work 40-80 ft structure edges with white tubes and flutter spoons. Early mornings can find fish surprisingly high over deep water chasing bait.

Yellow perchFair

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

Tomorrow: Cooler at 77 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.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp83 F
High / Low84 / 71 F
WindWNW 11-21 mph
Pressure1011.3 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 44%
Sunrise / Sunset06:29 / 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 · Rain, 84/71 F, wind 11 mph, rain 44%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

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

Lake trout illustration

Lake trout

Best: ice-out and fall turnover

The char of the deep: 40-year-old predators patrolling the cold basins of glacial lakes, from the Finger Lakes to the Rockies. Transition depths: work 40-80 ft structure edges with white tubes and flutter spoons. Early mornings can find fish surprisingly high over deep water chasing bait.

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 Round Valley Reservoir 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
Lake trout
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 Round Valley Reservoir 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. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 86 F, wind to 14 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 70 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 86 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 plus trout stamp. Lake trout and trout limits per current NJ Fish and Wildlife regulations.

Access

Round Valley Recreation Area boat launch and shoreline access; hike-in campground on the east shore.

About this water

A 2,350-acre water-supply reservoir 180 feet deep in Hunterdon County, New Jersey: the state’s deepest lake.

Fishing Round Valley Reservoir: the full guide

A reservoir unlike its neighbors

Round Valley Reservoir fills a natural horseshoe basin in Hunterdon County with 2,350 acres of unusually clear water reaching 180 feet: by far the deepest lake in New Jersey. That depth supports a coldwater fishery no other water in the state can: lake trout, brown trout and rainbow trout, with smallmouth bass on the rock and a reputation for producing state records that has held for decades.

Deep water tactics

Lake trout hold in the deep basin: trolling with lead core and downriggers at 60-120 feet in summer, or jigging over marked fish, is the standard approach. Brown trout are the trophy target: New Jersey’s record browns have come from here, taken on trolled stickbaits and live bait fished deep. Spring and fall bring all species shallower, when shore anglers get their chance from the state park beaches and points.

Smallmouth and the clarity problem

Smallmouth bass work the extensive rocky shoreline and submerged points: clear water demands light line, natural colors and long casts. The clarity is a genuine factor here: fish see everything, so dawn, dusk and overcast days are worth planning around. Sunny midsummer afternoons are the hardest conditions on the lake.

State park access

Round Valley Recreation Area manages the reservoir with a boat launch, shoreline access and a wilderness campground reachable only on foot: rare in New Jersey. Water levels can drop significantly during drought years, which changes launch usability. The reservoir is popular with scuba divers as well as anglers, so expect company on summer weekends.

Common questions

Are there really lake trout in New Jersey?

Yes, and only here in any numbers: Round Valley’s depth and cold water support the state’s only significant lake trout fishery.

What about state records?

The reservoir has produced New Jersey record brown and lake trout, a reputation that keeps deep-water specialists coming back.

Is shore fishing viable?

In spring and fall, yes: the beaches and points reach fish when they move shallow. Summer requires a boat and depth control.

Is fishing good at Round Valley Reservoir 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

Musconetcong River15 miLake Nockamixon23 miLake Hopatcong26 miSwartswood Lake31 miBeltzville Lake44 miSandy Hook45 mi
Share your catch