Deal Lake

Deal Lake is a shallow, many-armed 158-acre lake that winds through seven Monmouth County towns, from Ocean Township down to Loch Arbour, where it drains into the ocean through a flume. It's an acquired taste: shallow, stained, hard to reach from shore and busy with boats in summer. But it holds a steady population of largemouth bass in the 3- to 6-pound class, stocked channel catfish near double digits, 20- to 30-pound carp, and even stripers in the lower end in spring.

When to fish

• Spring: stripers follow herring and gizzard shad in from the ocean into the lower end.
• Spring and fall: quieter than summer, when recreational boat traffic is heavy.

Where to fish

• The lower end near Loch Arbour: where the ocean flume brings in bait and stripers.
• The lake's many forks and coves: bass have endless places to hide, which is what makes them hard to find.

How to fish it

Largemouth are the top draw but are tough to catch because they have so much cover and forage. Channel catfish are stocked every year at keeper size, and big carp make the lake a favorite with carp specialists. The state has stocked surplus northern pike here, but few have been reported caught.

Getting there

The concrete boat ramp is just below the railroad overpass off Seventh Avenue in Asbury Park. The lake technically allows unlimited horsepower, but most of it (everywhere except east of Route 71) is a no-wake zone, so kayaks, canoes and small boats suit it best. Shore access is very limited.