Tilcon Lake

Tilcon Lake covers 88 acres in Morris County. The verified maximum depth at Tilcon Lake is 53 feet; a dependable storage-volume figure was not found for this water.

Tilcon Lake is an 88-acre former quarry lake in Allamuchy Mountain State Park with a verified maximum depth of 53 feet.

What Makes Tilcon Lake Different

The steep quarry basin provides roughly 26 to 28 feet of trout-supporting water under suitable conditions. That deep cool layer separates its salmon fishing from the shallow bass and panfish bite.

New Jersey added Tilcon Lake to the landlocked Atlantic-salmon program in 2014 after temperature and oxygen work showed suitable coldwater habitat.

Fish and Baits at Tilcon Lake

Fish reported from Tilcon Lake include atlantic salmon, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, chain pickerel, channel catfish, common carp, largemouth bass, longear sunfish, and yellow perch.

Bass

For Tilcon Lake largemouth, use a shallow crankbait or swim jig to locate fish, then slow down with a jig or soft plastic.

Crappie, Perch and Sunfish

Slow vertical presentations around wood and suspended cover are dependable for Tilcon Lake crappie. Bluegill and other sunfish in Tilcon Lake take worms, crickets and tiny jigs along shade and vegetation. Keep a small jig, minnow or worm close to the bottom when perch are the target on Tilcon Lake.

Chain Pickerel

For Tilcon Lake pickerel, cover weed edges with a flashy moving lure and use a short leader when bite-offs become common.

Catfish, Bullheads and Carp

A simple bottom rig with cut bait or prepared bait is a practical channel catfish setup on Tilcon Lake. Bullheads at Tilcon Lake will take worms and small pieces of cut bait presented close to soft bottom. Common carp in Tilcon Lake can be targeted with corn or dough bait on a simple bottom rig.

Landlocked Atlantic Salmon

For landlocked salmon in Tilcon Lake, use small spoons, minnow plugs or live bait at a controlled depth near suspended forage. A surface-only approach at Tilcon Lake misses fish using the cooler basin.

Reading the Water at Tilcon Lake

Tilcon Lake has enough depth for fish to separate into shallow and deep groups. In summer at Tilcon Lake, find the deepest water that still has usable oxygen instead of assuming the bottom is automatically productive. Before leaving a productive-looking section of Tilcon Lake, change retrieve speed or depth once so location and presentation are not changed at the same time.

How the Seasons Change Tilcon Lake

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

A Practical Plan for Fishing Tilcon Lake

Locate the cool, oxygenated band before trolling a spoon or minnow bait for salmon. Bass anglers should work the shallower rim and any gradual point rather than dropping immediately into the quarry basin.

Useful Tackle for Tilcon Lake

A medium spinning rod with 8- to 10-pound line handles jigs, small crankbaits and live-bait rigs on Tilcon Lake. A second rod suited to trolling, spoons or larger swimbaits covers the open-water fish in Tilcon Lake.

Tilcon Lake FAQs

Why can Tilcon Lake hold landlocked salmon?

Its 53-foot quarry basin can maintain a band of cool, oxygenated water suitable for salmon and trout.

When did Tilcon join New Jersey’s salmon program?

The state added it in 2014.

How much trout-supporting water was documented at Tilcon?

Official temperature and oxygen work found about 26 to 28 vertical feet of suitable water under the sampled conditions.