Cooper River Lake is a lake in New Jersey, near Camden County.
Cooper River Lake covers 198.74 acres in Camden County. Dependable maximum-depth and storage-volume figures were not found for Cooper River Lake, so those measurements should not be guessed.
Cooper River Lake covers 198.74 acres in Camden County and combines an urban warmwater fishery with a stocked tiger-muskellunge opportunity.
The old river route, bridge narrows, shallow flats and shoreline cover give fish predictable travel lanes. Runoff can quickly change clarity in the long impoundment.
New Jersey lists Cooper River Park among waters offering tiger-muskie fishing. That gives anglers a large-predator option alongside bass, crappie, pickerel and catfish.
Fish reported from Cooper River Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, chain pickerel, channel catfish, common carp, largemouth bass, longear sunfish, tiger muskellunge, and yellow perch.
When largemouth bass hold tight to cover on Cooper River Lake, a compact jig or weedless worm is more useful than repeated open-water casts.
Crappie at Cooper River 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 Cooper River Lake for bluegill and related sunfish. A small minnow or worm on a light rig fits yellow perch fishing at Cooper River Lake.
For Cooper River Lake pickerel, cover weed edges with a flashy moving lure and use a short leader when bite-offs become common. A large swimbait or bucktail fits the wide search involved in tiger musky fishing on Cooper River Lake.
After dark, try a nightcrawler or cut bait near a channel turn when fishing Cooper River Lake for channel catfish. Bullheads at Cooper River Lake will take worms and small pieces of cut bait presented close to soft bottom. Common carp in Cooper River Lake can be targeted with corn or dough bait on a simple bottom rig.
On Cooper River 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 Cooper River Lake, change retrieve speed or depth once so location and presentation are not changed at the same time.
On Cooper River Lake, spring fish often move onto protected banks before the open basin warms. Summer fishing on Cooper River Lake is usually best at low light, beside shade or along the outside edge of healthy cover. During fall at Cooper River Lake, revisit creek mouths and main points with baitfish-sized lures.
Follow the river channel through bridge and narrows areas, then work isolated cover with a jig or worm. For tiger muskies, use stout tackle and larger moving baits along points and open edges.
A medium spinning rod with 8- to 10-pound line handles jigs, small crankbaits and live-bait rigs on Cooper River Lake. Add a stout outfit, stronger leader material, long pliers and proper release tools for the larger pike-family fish in Cooper River Lake.
New Jersey has stocked tiger muskellunge, adding a large-predator target to the urban fishery.
The old river route and bridge narrows form a continuous travel corridor through the lake.
Move toward protected water or the first clearer current edge instead of staying in the dirtiest inflow.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.