Tilcon Lake
Mr. Fish
Mr.M Mr. M, exactly where can you access the lake? I grew up in Saxton Falls but so much has changed up there in that area. That lake was just a big hole in the ground.
RM RM- It is just over the bridge on the left on Kinney road. The state finally purchased that land several years ago once Tilcon left.
I came across this website once while searching for something. It has some very nice photos of the area.
http://www.danbalogh.com/tilcon.html
Greg 
emaxxman http://gardenstatetrout.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5787
Starting to sound interesting.
Can someone explain to me where it is located. i just know from what I found it is off of Waterloo Road? Can someone be more specific I do not know where Kinney Road is. Besides them stocking it with landlocked Salmon what other kind of fish are caught there? I don't see it listed on NJ Fish and Game website. Thank you so much.
Colin Donegan Colin- Kinney Road is three miles from Route 206 on County Road 604 (Waterloo Road) not far from the Warren/Sussex county line. If traveling from Hackettstown, Kinney road is just after the former Waterloo concert field on the right.
I don't believe there are landlocked salmon stocked there. Have caught bass and pickerel. Supposed to be northern pike in there too.
Pickerel city and some small bass.
Trout became pickerel dinner.
Salmon were talked about but never stocked.
Landlocked Salmon are 18-20 inches right now and waiting for the ice out so they can be stocked. Could be a little bit of everything in there becasue the Musconetcong River flooded into there years back.
fishmaker1 I need to buy some poles and tackle... haven't gone fishing for years, but would enjoy going out for a relaxing day once in a while again...
Mark Mc. nyrguy
No the 200 bigger salmon are all going in Tilcon this Spring. Lake Aeroflex and Wawayanda received a bunch of 14-15 inchers late fall. Check the website njfishandwildlife.com for actual numbers. Have you tried for these salmon in the past? We don't here alot about them, but these bigger fish should show up better.
I fish aeroflex. Never see a landlocked being caught. May be stocked too small to survive the pickerel.
I fish Tilcon often with my kayak. I have caught huge Largemouth Bass, Pickerel,Perch,Catfish, and Bluegill. Last year I caught 2 Northern Pike. I called Hackettstown hatchery and they said they did not stock them. The hatchery website says they stocked Smallmouth Bass there but I have yet to catch one. I have seen giant grass carp in there as well. I have a fish finder on my kayak and it shows depths to 60 ft. and large areas of 30 to 40 ft.. If you are coming from Rt.206. Kinney Rd. is the next left after you go under Rt.80. Just after you go over the bridge over the Musconetcong river there is a large iron gate on the left. It is locked but you can walk around it. The lake is 100+ yards in from the gate.
tae111 Tentatively scheduled for thursday waiting for a press release to go out. We wanted to let the opening day of trout pass first.
I hope to join a hiking group late Spring. Have decided to make it a new hobby. This looks like a great place to explore! If any green hikers are interested please pm me.
Kit Kat Been thinking of doing the same myself Kit Kat. I need to shed a few pounds (or more lol) and would love to do it hiking. Maybe post a thread to see if there is more interest?
justintime Me too Jit I thought it would be a fun way to get fit. I love nature. I will post a thread.
Thanks fishmaker1.
Do you also stock the pike in cranberry lake? Don't hear alot about those being caught either.
We do stock pike in Cranberry and don't here much about them. I talk to a bunch of bass guys and they don't catch many. We may be rethinking that soon. Don't like to waste fish.
Guessing the stocked pike are too small to survive all the pickerel in Cranberry Lake.
It has to be recomended by regional biologists at the lebanon fisheries lab. They would have to do some studying/sampling probably. What are you thinking, I can try and run it past them.
Fishmaker do you think there will be reduced stocking again next year? I'm liking the Little Flat Brook not getting stocked this year. No fishermen to leave garbage in my yard.
M & K Thinking there are some 50 acre lakes in the area that have lots of smaller fish. Ex: Jefferson lake, allamuchy pond. Having a small stocking of pike might add a predator to the system and by reducing some numbers of fish and improve the overall fishery.
They are going to do everything possible to make sure the hatchery is disease free, so I would guess things are going to be back to normal for 2015. Sorry to here your property gets littered by anglers. Most true sportsmen would never litter and many would pick up after others. There are always a few bad apples.
The hatchery is stocking landlocked salmon in Tilcon Lake today Thursday the 17th around noon if anyone is interested in checking it out. Should be some photos on the Division Website next week. www.njfishandwildlife.com.
Fishmaker1 - Did they do any type of fish survey or electroschock to know what is in Tilcon Lake prior to the stocking? I' ve seen that data for other lakes. How do they gather it?
I've fished at Tilcon a few times over the past couple days. No luck yet, but I fish from the shore.
Strange to think about how I used to ride dirtbikes at what is now the bottom of this lake...
JRT If you have Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.406348456095706.98914.401080353289183&type=1
"Just 600 feet off of Waterloo Road is the entrance to lake Tilcon."
I caught a nice Landlocked salmon there a few weeks ago. Maybe 12-13 inches long. thats the only thing I ever caught in that lake though.
"I caught a nice Landlocked salmon there a few weeks ago. Maybe 12-13 inches long. thats the only thing I ever caught in that lake though."
Were you fishing from shore or a kayak? How deep were you dropping the bait?
I recently renewed my freshwater license , after many years of fishing only the salt.
I've had no luck flipping small Kastmasters at Cranberry or Hopatcong twice in the last
few weeks. Today around noon,( 5/12 ) I stumbled upon Tilcon Quarry but had no light freshwater equipment with me.
By my count it was 300 paces, maybe 250+ yards from the gate to the lake.
.
Looks like it could be a productive site. When I have more time I plan to walk around the lake at sunrise casting from shore.
OldtimerTom I got an email this wekend from a fisherman at Tilcon and he was fishing from a kayak over the weekend and caught two of the 200+ salmon that were recently stocked there. They were 18.5 and 20.5 inches, they looked great. Glad to see people taking advantage of the resource. We just got a fresh 2000 salmon from Massachusetts last week that will be stocked this fall in Tilcon, Aeroflex and Wawayanda.
I was fishing from the shore. It was the day they got stocked and they were still near the surface. I saw one hit thw surface and casted there as soon as i started reeling in he bit! I was using a silver spinner. Now all the salmon are near the bottom in the middle. You need to go out on a boat and drop the line all the way down. I heard salmon like shiners or fatheads.
We found Tilcon lake this morning. Very nice spot, caught a few little ones off the shore
Darwin 
Ah, that's nothing. Look at the monster I caught!
Prior to this, I did get a small bass (~9" or so), but things slowed down so I just caught a few bluegill for fun. Even the little ones are pretty feisty (they tugged more than the bass did).
Last week at tilcon...has anyone ever caught a pickerel there? I heard they are in there
Booster90 I think I saw a pickerel stalking my lure, but didn't bite it. Looked longer and skinnier than a bass.
Just a question fishmaker, how do you affirm that introduced species will not have a negative/invasive impact on local ecosystems, or introduce an unknown disease and weaken native populations of fish or other aquatic life? Thabks for your information
botheredbyuu2 
auntiel Going to Round Valley for the upcoming Memorial day weekend. Three days of fishing can't wait. Night fishing the best!!
kepa
Our regional fisheries biologists have done quite a bit of work on Tilcon and many of NJ's waters. They check out many factors one important one is food source and if any new introductions will impact that forage base or any other species. The recent salmon introduction was studied for a couple of years. Salmon need cold, clean water with good oxygen. Many of NJ's lakes lose their oxygen below 15 ft in the summer and water temps in the top 15 feet get to high for trout species. We will not accept any fish from out of State without a disease certificate. All fish raised at the hatcheries undergo extensive testing annually.
I was out with my kayak on Tilcon last week. I caught and released 27 Largemouth Bass. Largest was 3.7 lbs. Also a few Pickerel. I didn't catch any Salmon though. I have yet to catch a Smallmouth Bass there . I am really hoping the Smallmouth stocking works out as they are one of my favorite species to fish for. I would also love to see them stocked in Aeroflex as well. I don't target Pickerel but Tilcon has some giants. I have a picture on my wall of a 4.4 lb. one I caught there last year.
Why doesn't the lake show up on maps? I am dying to go, but am not sure how to get there (from hackettstown). Very frustrating!
Roy Roy, head out of Hackettstown past the Hospital on Willow Grove street. That turns into Waterloo Rd. If you know where the concert fields are you'll know where to turn right onto Kennedy Rd. Just up on the left you will see a large metal gate with room for parking in front. Walk around the gate and follow the trail to the lake.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Hackettstown,+NJ/40.9079503,-74.7711472/@40.8810679,-74.8345076,10362m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x89c3830a6cbf6f6b:0x6cfe40eae1601732!2m2!1d-74.8290555!2d40.8539879!1m0!3e0
I take willow grove from Hess gas station and follow it till you get we're they have the concerts... They just had the Italian festival there..turn right on that rd(Kinney rd?) . Lake will be on your left.. Big gate blocking entrance you have to walk in... I usually park past the gate were they fly the remote control airplanes.
I believe swimming is prohibited in the lake. You are allowed to use small boats (canoes, kayaks, etc.) without motors if you can carry/roll them. There really isn't a boat "launch" area for anything bigger.
The problem with swimming is there is no gradual shore line. Someone above said the max depth is ~60 feet, but I'd guess it probably drops off at a 45 degree angle so you can't even wade out very far.
Was just at Tilcon for birding. Please please whoever it is that is leaving garbage, cans , plastic bottles, teenth bags. Please stop ! I ask you to take your garbage home with you.
Unfortunately it is probably no one here that frequents this site who is leaving this garbage. I drove by there last weekend and there were a bunch of "non-locals". It is sad that people will come enjoy the area and crap all over it. I guess that is common where they live to not take care of things.
justsaying Yeah! Today there was a family camping in a tent next to the lake. Looked like fun. Hope they take their garbage with them . Maybe I will do a cleanup there again
"Today there was a family camping in a tent next to the lake."
Funny, since camping is not allowed there. As far as I know access is sunrise to sunset, not overnight.
Maybe they have moved there. Lakeside home, nice! They did have a big bar of soap and were washing up in the lake. And a huge pot of something cooking on the fire. I would have asked how they were liking the lake but all I can speak in their language is Hola. Still, a nice spot for a weekend camping trip.
In the last couple of weeks the lake has become very popular with some folks who are swimming, burning campfires, and camping. The amount of trash over the last few weeks is disgusting. Unfortunate that with increased popularity a great area is being ruined.
"I would have asked how they were liking the lake but all I can speak in their language is Hola."
Maybe that's the problem... the hours/rules are only posted in English.
took my boys there a few weeks ago and we picked up a full bag of trash. we cleaned the area where we were fishing but i couldn't bring myself to pick up the boxer shorts someone left there. i didn't have my hazmat suit on. unbelievable!
Thanks for cleaning . boxer shorts! must be skinny dipping. I think I may head over at some point with a few giant bags and fill them.
Saw our Spanish friends Sunday with the tent and fire. A ranger came by and gave them the boot. I hope it doesn't become the next hopatcong state park.
P.s. Caught a 2.5 lbs. large mouth down the bike trail on the back end.
Dtap99 Nice catch! I hope it dont turn into dumping ground like I have seen other places. I saw Park Police come out of there today. I hope they keep up with it. Someone spray painted the gate with grafitti. Sad.
Everybody tAke a plastic bag (even small shop rite bag) and fill it up with garbage when you visit the lake. Unfortunately we have to do this because some slobs just won't stop and will never have respect for the planet or places they seem to enjoy. That is my rant for the day.
Just started fishing the lake in my canoe and it is sad. Maybe ill bring a few trash bags this week and do some cleanup myself. Havent hooked anything there yet but look forward to catching a salmon.
Vinny what the best time of day to get catch a Salmon and can you get them from the shore or do you need a boat Also can you recommened bait or lure
poppop Have caught trouts small mouth bass pickerel salmon and catfish.
Biggest trout was 25,5 inches put up an awesome fight,
Smallmouth bass biggest was just a quarter of an inch short from 20iches,
Chain Pickerel biggest was 25 inches,
Salmon was 26 inches,
And catfish was 12 inches,
Best place to go fishing
Dawid Has anyone heard any reports out of the lake so far this year? I want to try and get out to fish it for the first time soon.
Benedict I haven't been there since ice fishing in early winter, but it should be melting away soon (if it's not gone already).
Once it's all open water I'll head back to try my luck again, but I want to start shopping for a kayak to get out in the middle of the lake.
caught some pickerel through the ice in March. Still has surface ice on most of the lake. should be gone soon.
We checked it out today. Looked like 30 to 40 yards of open water around the edges. Guessing a lot of it will melt away in the next couple of days. The Hackettstown Hatchery will be stocking 200 Landlocked Salmon there this week. They should be 14-16 inches. Another 230 Salmon in Aeroflex and 500 in Wawayanda. Water temps are running 44-45 degrees, hard to believe that ice can survive much longer. Hearing good reports of perch and crappies hitting in many waters. Set trapnets today in Budd Lake and Swartswood so we will see the catch in the morning. Walleye spawn should be on!
Fished it yesterday. Water still low temps. Son caught a couple pickerel and I landed a largemouth 3.8 lbs. Saw a school of salmon swim by....that was cool.
Jim Mc When the water warms up the salmon will move to the bottom of the lake where it's colder.
Just FYI - bass are catch and release only April 15 through June 15 on all waters.
I fished Tilcon from my kayak yesterday. I have a fish finder and the water temp was 54 degrees so it's pretty cold yet. Only caught 1 Largemouth bass and 1 pickerel.
went fishing there a couple of times..my boys did quite well..caught some nice largemouth bass..1 was about as i could tell around 5 lbs..about 23 inch....caught them on spoons..said he missed a salmon ...it hit the lure...broke water..and jumped....looked to be about 18-20 inch....i found this small pond in the back...caught lots of small stuff, sunnies,crappies,and big bluegills...when i took the hook out of the bluegills mouth...it pissed on my hand...no lie...about a week later..my son said that he saw about a 4 lb bass in that pond swimming around...but would'nt bite....
I caught some nice size fish at tilcon but never had any luck in that pond in the back.
that pond in the back is not that big,,,if you did'nt know where it was,,,,you could have missed it....i heard it has a lot of weeds now...i don't think too many people fish it...its got a lot of small stuff in it...its better than getting snunked....oh did i mention,...saw some small water snakes in there too.....they won't bother you ......just watch out for copperheads....the place is loaded with them...
Does anyone know the hours you are allowed to be on the lake? Good summer for night fishing
Yup..as soon as the action turns on, as evening approaches, they throw you out. I guess I'll be getting up at 4am to catch the sunrise.
sparksjbc1964 
Iris Sparks...that drives me nuts. I have fished Merrill Creek a few times and caught my largest largemouth to date there from shore. Sucks that you have to leave once the action gets hot.
Technically if you are legally fishing or hunting you can be in state parks before sunrise and after sunset.
As for Merrill, I'm sure if you park outside the property and walk in, you can stay. The problem for those that park in their lots, they close a gate (I assume that's the case as I've never stayed past their closing time) and your car would be stuck.
Booster, Tilton is managed by Division of parks and forestry, I know the Asst. Superintendent personally which is one of my sources on the information. The county does aid them a little but not that much.
GC Any idea about how far (feet/yards and minutes) it is from the iron gate to the launch site of the lake?? I ask because I'll be carrying my kayak and even though it is "only" 26lbs, it's a clumsy carry if I have to literally walk a trail to get to the lake. Is it possible to get closer to the lake, other than to park by the iron gate?
Leah Marie past the gate on the left is a worn sandy path you can carry/drag your kayak up and over to get closer to the lake. from the gate it's maybe 1/4 mile.
The walk from the gate to the lake is probably ~100 yards, but it isn't a "trail". It's almost a parking lot with some scrub vegetation.
You can park down the road a bit, which is closer, but you have to walk up/over the hillside (on a mountain bike path) which isn't very tall (10-15 feet maybe) but can be steep/slippery.
Just to edit (I guessed before I looked at the map) it's more than 100 yards, but less than 1/4 mile ;)
i seen a hunter at tilcon yesterday does anybody know if thats legal? i thought that was a no hunting zone
Hey, Just moved into the area from NYC (Slumlord took over my
building and forced all of us out so they can jack the rent up 5-7,500.
a month rent.
Been coming up to Mount Olive since I was a kid (Lakeland bus
doesn't believe I've been riding the bus a half a century). Started the
first sea kayaking movement in NYC way back - seakayaker.com -
one of my earliest websites ...
Used to have 17 kayaks and lost my storage. Now have a folding
feathercraft and my favorite whatever, clamshell, a PokeBoat I bought
30 plus years ago (travels where kayaks can't ... in like an inch of moss
covered water and very low streams) .... Saw a post on Kayak fishing.
I remember trying it year before anyone even thought of it and being
pulled around a lake by what seemed like an Orca (?) before it finally
dragged my boat into some underlying brush and broke the line.
Whose carrying these fishing kayaks? The one's I seen weren't true
kayaks, they were sit on tops (which originally were very stable if not
extemely navigatible platforms for scuba divers). Will be exploring
a lot more areas, trying out fly fishing .. even have a japanese
Tenkara Rod. Great forum here
John P There is a company selling assorted kayak and paddle board fishing set ups that is at the Fly Fishing Show every year. (They were in the lobby this year again.).
Locally Ramsey outdoors has a pretty solid selection of rigs.
Down the shore there is http://thekayakfishingstore.com
Outcast also was at the show with their pontoons and rafts, As was Scadden boats with their tubes and pontoons.
Welcome to the area, a bit cool for fishing now but spring will arrive soon and with it the hatches.
Agust 
MB Dragging up an old post, lol
I just learned to fish this weekend. Better late than never! We caught pickerel and catfish in this lake.
Anyone know of any other less crowded lakes like this? I'm not keen on people. Thx!
Lori...since '73 When I was a kid in the 60’s I went camping woth my parents at a place called Lake Star Harbor. Best I can tell is the quarry owners made the quarry after the campground closed. The campground had a small lake but only a quarter the size of Tilcon Lake. I have seen many postings and this area looks exactly like where the campground was. Does anyone remember Lake Star Harbor Campground?
Ed Hawks Ed
Ride the nj transit train between hackettstown and netcong....it gives you a really good view of the whole area...right thru the tilcon quarry...I remember something that looked like a camp ground
AJMS Tilcon Lake is part of the Allamuchy state park. I'm sure there are maps available on their site or certainly at the office in Stephens.
Ed- I have been in that area since the mid 1960's. I don't ever recall hearing of a campground with a lake other that the Scout camp in that area. It could be Jefferson Lake day Camp had something like that prior to it's current operation.It has a lake and the ability for camping. They have been in business for 60 years but perhaps not strictly as a day camp at first. I'll poke around a bit.
Bob P 
Scott Costine 
Outsider Who said it is closed? I’ve been there a few times these last couple of months with no issues.
Jim L 
Savetilcon Are people saying it’s closed because the gate is closed? It’s closed all the time.. or is there a sign saying you can’t go in?
Booster i'm actually starting to think its locals just saying it's closed to keep outsiders away from it lol .
II fish there on a weekly basis I went two weeks ago on a Thursday night there were so many people swimming lighting fires and doing things there not supposed to be doing I called park police. Had enough of people who can’t read a sign that says no swimming dogs must be on leashes no fires etc. follow the rules
Drew There is a Morris Canal Trail right before the route 80 overpass. Taxis from the city drop off families with gear for a day at the beach (I'm not kidding!). They walk the short trail to the back end of Tilcon and spend the day in their own private Oasis. The problem are the visitors that don't respect the park or the rules. There is no one patrolling the area so it becomes a free for all. Towels, garbage, flips flops all get left behind. People camping out, burned out fire pits, overfishing. Its a mess. I highly recommend that anyone that's sees misuse at *any* start park, please call 800-WARNDEP to connect with park police. If enough complaints are received, we can only hope park police will start making their presence known.
HickoryDog I think you can get a two round trip tickets to Florida cheaper than two one-way taxi rides back and forth from the City to Allamuchy. They must be extremely wealthy.
ianimal I love TL and have gone fishin' there for years. In these guaren-times, folks need a wide open space and there's definitely been an increase in the parties using this hidden gem. I just hope people will pack it in/pack it out and always try to leave it a little cleaner/nicer than they found it. That's what I do.
the hipstr ianimal - but after returning from FL you need to self-quarantine for 2 weeks. Not so convenient for working people or responsible people who prefer to live life instead of being stuck in the apartment again.
Lena Just an FYI.
I see several folks have had their catalytic converters stolen while enjoying Tilcon lake yesterday. That really stinks. Easy pickings for thieves as they just need one person to watch for anyone coming from the lake which is several hundreds yards away. They have plenty of time and almost zero traffic to watch for. It would be fun to see how well a Sawzall works as an anchor tied around one of those dirtbags necks as they visit the bottom of the lake.....
I was just telling my buddy the other day we should try some magnet fishing there.
Thanks for the heads up Greg. I was headed that way Saturday but my plans were changed. Good for me I guess. Now I'll be hesitant to park there. Yet it seems they are hitting various parks where they know people are hiking away from their vehicles so we must be careful. Sounds like a "cat guard" might be something to look into.
Thanks for the heads up. Looks like i will be taking my hunting trail cam with me now and strapping it to a tree pointing at my car.
Josh "Proof of damage doesn't negate the damage."
But it may stop the damage to someone else's car. It is called helping other people. It is what a good community does, and we need to get back to the basics of helping others out instead of just looking out for ourselves.
But that is just my opinion, you do you.
^^^ agreed I’m there every weekend. If see someone touching my car or see someone doing something sketchy to someone elses property these clowns will have major problems
Plus, if you have motion-activated notifications on your phone, it's possible that you could call NJSP and they catch them in the act. Probably not likely, but possible...
Actually that area can be patrolled by Mount Olive as once you cross the Musky on Kinney coming from Waterloo Road, it is Morris county Mt.Olive Township. The State Police may come but usually defer to Mount Olive there or the Park Police.
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