Musconetcong River

The Musconetcong River, "the Musky" to locals, runs 45.7 miles from the Lake Hopatcong dam southwest through the Highlands to the Delaware River at Riegelsville. It is a National Wild and Scenic River and one of the state's major trout streams: stocked with rainbows every spring and fall, with native brook trout and wild browns in the mix. Smallmouth bass live throughout, and now that several dams are gone, shad, stripers and walleye are showing up near the mouth.

When to fish

• Spring: the main trout season. The Musky is one of the major streams stocked weekly through the spring, and it's closed to fishing from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on stocking days.
• Late April to early May: caddis hatches in the Point Mountain area can be spectacular.
• Fall: a second round of rainbow stocking.
• Winter: deep holes hold both trout and smallmouth.

Where to fish

• Point Mountain Trout Conservation Area: about 1.2 miles between the Penwell Road and Point Mountain Road bridges, at the end of Musconetcong River Road in Lebanon Township. It's mostly shallow and full of insect life, restoration work has dug some deep holes, and county park staff spread stocked trout through the stretch. Expect company.
• Changewater and the Hackettstown area: good bets for native brook trout, usually near where tributaries come in.
• Above Finesville: some of the deepest holes on the river.
• The lower river near the Delaware: shad, stripers and walleye.
• Nearly everything above Asbury is public water; private clubs hold some of the lower river. Floods spread stocked trout out, so it pays to walk away from the access points.

How to fish it

The Musky has more deep, flowing water than most New Jersey trout streams, which suits nymphing, including European-style nymphing. Inside the Point Mountain TCA, only artificial lures and flies are allowed.

Getting there

The National Park Service counts about 60 access points along 42 miles of river, most of them on state land. NJ Fish and Wildlife's 1,685-acre Musconetcong River Wildlife Management Area has seven sites, including a parking lot off Willow Avenue in Bloomsbury and pull-offs along Musconetcong River Road in Lebanon Township. The river is wholly or partly within the Brook Trout Conservation Zone, where every brook trout must be released. Check the current trout regulations before you go.