Greenwood Lake

Greenwood Lake stretches across the New York–New Jersey line, with its southern end in West Milford, Passaic County. It covers about 1,918 acres, averages 17 feet deep and reaches 57, and New Jersey Fish and Wildlife has called it a walleye and muskie paradise. Both states stock it: New Jersey adds walleye and pure-strain and tiger muskies every year, and it is one of the state's designated Trophy Muskie Waters.

When to fish

• Spring (April–May): muskies move into shallow, sheltered coves before and during the spawn and are at their most predictable. Muskies Inc. holds its annual Musky School on the lake in May.
• Open water: largemouth and smallmouth bass, which draw regular tournaments, plus chain pickerel, crappie and trout.
• Late fall: walleye move shallow at dusk where current flows into the lake.

Where to fish

• Northeast part of the lake, south of Chapel Island: a known walleye area.
• Creek mouths and culverts: in late fall, target spots where water flows in, such as North Creek and Belcher Creek.
• Grass beds near deep water: muskie territory.
• The grass bed north of Fox Island: a bass spot NJFW has pointed out.
• Sunny, wind-sheltered coves: in spring, most muskies sit in just 1 to 3 feet of water.

How to fish it

For spring muskies, cast minnow-style hard baits parallel to shore, starting in about a foot of water and working out to 3 feet, then move to fresh shoreline. The best windows are sunset to dark, overcast days and warm spring rains. In fall, work stickbaits for walleye at twilight around creek mouths. Bass anglers fish the grass beds and shoreline structure.

Getting there

There's no public day launching on the New Jersey side (as of late 2024); boaters launch at private marinas on the New York side, and New York describes the shoreline as private. The lake is open to unlimited horsepower. Because it's shared by two states, Greenwood Lake has its own regulations, including special muskie rules, and New York and New Jersey licenses have both been honored anywhere on the lake. Check the current Greenwood Lake section of the Freshwater Fishing Digest before you go.