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Round Valley Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Round Valley Reservoir: 2,350 acres and about 180 feet deep, with a self-sustaining lake trout population and more New Jersey state records than any other water.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~55 F est.
Air / High
61 / 61 F
Wind
ENE 5 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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 rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. Today brings clear skies, wind ENE around 5 mph, rising pressure near 1027 hPa and a high of 61. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:33 AM-11:33 AM and 10:02 PM-12:02 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Brown troutExcellent

Close to Vermont's 53-66Β°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

Lake troutGood

Spring and fall bring lakers into 10 to 30 feet of water (Michigan DNR), within reach of casters and shallow trollers; fall is also spawning time over rocky shoals.

Smallmouth bassGood

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Tomorrow: Similar at 59 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

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.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp61 F
High / Low61 / 43 F
WindENE 5-10 mph
Pressure1027.2 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:19 / 18:07
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Which day to fish Round Valley Reservoir this week

The best day on Round Valley Reservoir this week looks like Sunday Oct 25, at 4 out of 5, against 2 today.

Best day this week: Sunday, Oct 25 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Tough

Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Solunar majors
9:33 AM-11:33 AM and 10:02 PM-12:02 AM
Minor period
3:55 AM-4:55 AM
Sun
07:19 to 18:07
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 10 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

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

Spring and fall in shallow water, deep in summer, and through the ice in winter

Lake trout are slow-growing chars of large, deep, cold lakes, native from Alaska and northern Canada to New England and the Great Lakes, and introduced in many western lakes. Spring and fall bring lakers into 10 to 30 feet of water (Michigan DNR), within reach of casters and shallow trollers; fall is also spawning time over rocky shoals.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Close to Vermont's 53-66Β°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

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
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 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, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 65 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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 fishing license; trout fishing rules per the 2026 NJ trout regulations (updated Sept 23, 2026). Round Valley is a Trophy Trout Lake: lake trout open year-round, 8 fish 15 to under 24 in. plus 1 fish 24 in. or more; brown and rainbow trout open year-round, 15 in., 2 combined.

Access

Public Boat Launch, run by NJ Fish and Wildlife outside the park, with car-top and trailer ramps and docks; launching requires a current fishing, hunting or trapping license or an annual boat ramp permit. The Camper Launch inside the park is for registered campers only. Wilderness campsites on the southeast shore (April 1–Oct 31) are reached only by boat or by hiking 3 to 6 miles on the Cushetunk Trail.

About this water

Round Valley Reservoir, Round Valley Recreation Area, Hunterdon County, New Jersey: 2,350 acres, about 180 feet deep, filled in 1960 with water pumped from the South Branch Raritan River.

Fishing Round Valley Reservoir: the full guide

A reservoir in a natural valley

New Jersey State Parks says Round Valley Reservoir covers 2,350 acres and reaches about 180 feet deep, the second-deepest lake and the largest reservoir in New Jersey. Erosion of soft sedimentary rock carved the valley, and in 1960 the New Jersey Water Authority built three dams and filled it with water pumped from the South Branch Raritan River. The New Jersey Water Supply Authority manages the reservoir and its levels; NJ Fish and Wildlife runs the public boat launch.

Lake trout and trophy trout rules

NJ Fish and Wildlife stocked lake trout in the reservoir from 1977 through 1995, and State Parks says the population is now self-sustaining through natural reproduction and regulation changes. Round Valley is a Trophy Trout Lake under the 2026 regulations: lake trout are open all year with a daily limit of 8 fish from 15 to under 24 inches plus 1 fish of 24 inches or more. The old September 16 to November 30 catch-and-release closure for lake trout was removed in 2026. Brown and rainbow trout are also open all year, with a 15-inch minimum and 2 a day combined.

Records, boats and winter

State Parks says more New Jersey freshwater state records have been set at Round Valley than at any other water, among them American eel, smallmouth bass, brown trout and lake trout. Motorboats are limited to 10 horsepower, electric or gas, and jet skis are not allowed. Ice fishing is permitted on the reservoir and the swimming impoundment. Scuba diving and snorkeling are closed for the 2026 season.

Common questions

Are there lake trout in Round Valley?

Yes. NJ Fish and Wildlife stocked them from 1977 to 1995, and State Parks says the population is now self-sustaining. In 2026 the daily limit is 8 lake trout from 15 to under 24 inches plus 1 of 24 inches or more, all year.

Has Round Valley produced state records?

Yes. New Jersey State Parks says more state freshwater records have come from Round Valley than from any other water, including American eel, smallmouth bass, brown trout and lake trout.

What boats are allowed?

Electric or gas motors up to 10 horsepower, sailboats with masts up to 30 feet above the waterline, canoes, kayaks and paddleboards. Jet skis are not permitted, and everyone except registered campers launches at the Public Boat Launch.

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

Spruce Run Reservoir5 miMusconetcong River12 miRaritan River16 miLake Nockamixon23 miLake Hopatcong26 miSwartswood Lake31 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 40.6200, -74.8400 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 6, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 6, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.