Atsion Lake is a reservoir in New Jersey, near Burlington County.
Atsion Lake covers 99.25 acres in Burlington County. Dependable maximum-depth and storage-volume figures were not found for Atsion Lake, so those measurements should not be guessed.
Atsion Lake covers 99.25 acres in the New Jersey Pinelands and carries the dark, tea-colored water typical of cedar-swamp drainage.
Shallow wood, stained water, weed edges and the old stream route are more important than deep offshore structure. Bass and pickerel can hold very close to cover.
The cedar color comes from natural tannins, not ordinary muddy runoff. Lures with vibration or a strong silhouette are easier for fish to track in that dark water.
Fish reported from Atsion Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, chain pickerel, channel catfish, common carp, largemouth bass, longear sunfish, and yellow perch.
Begin the largemouth search on Atsion Lake with a moving bait, then pick apart wood or weeds with a worm.
Crappie at Atsion Lake respond to a small jig or live minnow beside brush and suspended cover. Use a tiny jig or natural bait under a float when fishing Atsion Lake for bluegill and related sunfish. A small minnow or worm on a light rig fits yellow perch fishing at Atsion Lake.
Chain pickerel in Atsion Lake can be found with spoons, spinnerbaits and small swimbaits along vegetation.
Channel catfish in Atsion Lake take cut bait, nightcrawlers and prepared bait on a slip-sinker rig. Brown bullheads in Atsion Lake are best approached with a worm or small piece of cut bait on bottom. Common carp in Atsion Lake can be targeted with corn or dough bait on a simple bottom rig.
On Atsion Lake, choose a repeatable feature such as a point, channel turn, wood line or weed edge and test several examples before changing lures. Before leaving a productive-looking section of Atsion Lake, change retrieve speed or depth once so location and presentation are not changed at the same time.
A sunny spring afternoon can pull Atsion Lake fish toward dark bottom, wood and new vegetation. Summer fish in Atsion Lake may feed shallow at dawn before settling beside cover or deeper structure. Cooling water can bring Atsion Lake fish back to points and banks where bait gathers.
Use a spinnerbait, vibrating jig or dark soft plastic around wood and vegetation. Slow the bait down after the first strike because several fish may use the same protected pocket.
A medium spinning rod with 8- to 10-pound line handles jigs, small crankbaits and live-bait rigs on Atsion Lake. A medium-heavy rod with 12- to 15-pound line covers spinnerbaits, bass jigs and bottom rigs on Atsion Lake without making the lighter fishing awkward.
Natural tannins from Pinelands vegetation stain the water a dark cedar color.
A clear silhouette, vibration and a steady retrieve help fish locate the bait.
Wood, weed openings and the old stream route are more useful than featureless open water.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.