Lake Gardner

Lake Gardner covers 106 acres in Essex County. The recorded maximum depth at Lake Gardner is 17 feet. At Lake Gardner, the documented storage volume is about 1,500 acre-feet.

What to Expect at Lake Gardner

The verified 17-foot maximum gives Lake Gardner enough depth for fish to move away from the bank without turning the lake into a purely open-water fishery.

Fish and Useful Baits at Lake Gardner

Fish reported from Lake Gardner include american eel, bluegill, brown bullhead, chain pickerel, golden shiner, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, white perch, white sucker, and yellow perch.

Bass

Low light favors a topwater or spinnerbait for Lake Gardner largemouth; brighter conditions call for a slower presentation beside cover.

Crappie, Perch and Sunfish

Bluegill in Lake Gardner are practical targets with a worm or small jig suspended beside shallow cover. Yellow perch in Lake Gardner are commonly caught with a small jig tipped with a minnow or worm near bottom.

Walleye and Larger Predators

A spoon or compact swimbait worked beside weeds is a practical chain pickerel choice on Lake Gardner.

A Simple Fishing Plan for Lake Gardner

Choose three different structural stops before changing sections on Lake Gardner. Compare incoming water, the old channel and a point leading toward the deeper end of Lake Gardner.

When to Fish Lake Gardner

Spring at Lake Gardner favors warming coves, feeder mouths and protected spawning banks. Once summer heat settles over Lake Gardner, work the deepest active cover instead of assuming every fish has moved to the bottom. Windblown points on Lake Gardner become worth checking when autumn baitfish move shallow.