Ramapo Lake Info?

[kcritch]

I am heading up to Newburgh NY this Saturday for my sons cross country meet and looking for a place to stop on the way back to do a little fishing from shore. Anybody know how to access Ramapo Lake or any information on it? Never been there.

Open to other suggestions off 287 up that way as well.

Thanks,
Ken

[NJ Dave]

Ramapo lake in Mawah? It is off Rt. 202 a few miles away from Ramapo College. The park is called The Ramapo Reservation.
The bottom lake holds pan fish, bass, and trout if you can find em.
The top lake which gets far less fisihg pressure holds the same.
The river you will cross prior to enteriong the park is stocked prety good with trout however I dont know if the fall stocking took place yet. It does hold over trout.
Cross the foot bridge and make a quick right and fish the pools under and around the bridge.
OR
Cross the foot bridge and make a left. Walk past the bend and it gets deep. 10 feet or so.
G/L

[ScowardNJ]

Ramapo Lake is located up in the Ramapo Mountain State Forest in Oakland. You have to hike to it. There are 2 parking lots off Skyline Drive, one at the bottom and one at the top of Skyline Dr. The hike up from the lower lot is easier, takes about 15-20 minutes to hike up there. LM, Crappie, Picky Lake. Lots of shore access.
The lake off 202 in the Ramapo Reservation in Mahwah is called Scarlet Oak Pond. Way easier to access but way more pressure. You got the Ramapo River flowing through right there also. River rat smallies have been pretty active in the River in certain pools from the Doty Rd Bridge in Oakland to the NY State line.

[Det. Brad]

you can also fish Potash Lake in Oakland on West Oakland Ave. The Ramapo River runs into it and this lake empties out into Pompton Lake. Lots of Bass in there.

[Lard Almighty]

Off Route 202 in that same area is Bear Swamp Road. There is a parking lot on the other side of the Ramapo River, by a small creek. That creek has native brook trout in it. Nothing big, but they are in almost every hole. Fishing is artificials only.

[kcritch]

Wow great information guys...thanks alot. I'm "working from home" tomorrow so I will defiitely map out those spots and maybe try to hit a couple of them.

Thanks Again.
Ken

[Wilson]

I am heading up to Newburgh NY this Saturday for my sons cross country meet and looking for a place to stop on the way back to do a little fishing from shore. Anybody know how to access Ramapo Lake or any information on it? Never been there.

Open to other suggestions off 287 up that way as well.

Thanks,
Ken
Also there is Shepard's lake state park. Free after Labor day.
Good luck:)

[Det. Brad]

Off Route 202 in that same area is Bear Swamp Road. There is a parking lot on the other side of the Ramapo River, by a small creek. That creek has native brook trout in it. Nothing big, but they are in almost every hole. Fishing is artificials only.


Better bring your hiking shoes for that creek... Awesome fishing spot though. A lot of Native Brookies in there. The color on them are amazing...

[catfishonthelake]

I've had better action with pickerel than bass at Ramapo Lake. Rarely been skunkere there. The trail that goes around the lake offers good shore access and you usually have at least some degree of peace and quiet. I've done very well with bass at Scarlet Oak Pond, the first lake on the Reservation, but the place quickly becomes swamped with walk-joggers and dog-walkers.

[flyboy1]

Ive fished Ramapo Lake a few times and always have had good luck with largemouth Bass but the hike to get to the lake just isnt worth it IMHO... I actually like fishing Lake Tamarack which is across skyline drive from the upper parking lot of the Ramapo Lake trail.. 10 minute walk versus 25 minute walk and its the same type of fishing....

[iceehot6766]

I grew up in Oakland, fishing everywhere in every lake, pond, stream,river, and there are a few places people refer to as "Ramapo Lake".....The one I associate is as off Skyline Drive...As you head up there is a parking lot on the left and you have to hike/walk/trek ubout 20 minutes up a mountain to get there...It was easier when I was a kid but I most likely would have a difficult time lugging 2 tackleboxes and some rods up there....When you get to the top you hit the dam area(which I remember being very deep and holding tons of bass and pickerel and perch....You have to walk to the other side(another 15-20 minute straight walk to the "ranger station" area....that side which was not heavily pressured held the big ones....Growing up I have caught many 5+ pounders there(largemouth and GIGANTIC Pickerel as well).....There are also Monster Crappies in there....my biggest was prob. over 18 inches long and tons of perch....I stopped going there after I graduated H.S. and moved out of that area which was almost 30 years ago so I can't tell you how it is now....I remember though there were TONS of Black Snakes all over the shoreline and that prob. kept me from going back there many times.........There are no boats allowed(unless that's been changed) but I did once launch an inflatable raft there and explored and saw so much that couldn't be seen from shore....It's prob. worth a try.....Spinnerbaits.Poppers, and Live bait was my baits of choice back then.......Also texas rigged purple Creme 6" rubber worm of Mister Twister also......Good luck and hope that helps......

[dboyd101]

I launched my hobie i12s there in the beginning of the spring. i didn't see any signs not to launch... if there was i wouldn't have done it.

either way, it was rather difficult to bring it back up after a day of pedaling around the lake, but whatever. that's why i do crossfit, right? ;) i only took 2 breaks dragging it back up to the top parking lot. i do have wheels, but it definitely felt like the wheels were square after 7 hours on the water, hahaha.

fishing here has always been a good and is a 'go-to' place if you want to catch something, but you definitely compete with the crowds and the ever-present dog-not-on-a-leash (yeah, they're spreading from macmillian to skyline... arg.)

the fishing is good, and the most similar spot i could compare it to is wawayonda sans the trout. picks have taken over for the most part in the last 6 or so years but i have landed some slob largemouth from the pads in the back. drag some spro kermits over the pads for a good time. for an alternative route, look to the back left section and shimmy shimmy ya'll down the rocks to hit a secluded spot.

oh, and if you see some dudes from the five gallon bucket brigade go over an start a conversation... as you walk away, fake a fall and kick the fish back into the lake. thanks

edited to post link to site that shows canoeing is aloud but does not call out other types of boating. i had seen kayakers in there before, but just because they were doing it, doesn't mean it's right. hmm. i'm quite curious now! http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/ramapo.html

[Det. Brad]

I grew up in Oakland, fishing everywhere in every lake, pond, stream,river, and there are a few places people refer to as "Ramapo Lake".....The one I associate is as off Skyline Drive...As you head up there is a parking lot on the left and you have to hike/walk/trek ubout 20 minutes up a mountain to get there...It was easier when I was a kid but I most likely would have a difficult time lugging 2 tackleboxes and some rods up there....When you get to the top you hit the dam area(which I remember being very deep and holding tons of bass and pickerel and perch....You have to walk to the other side(another 15-20 minute straight walk to the "ranger station" area....that side which was not heavily pressured held the big ones....Growing up I have caught many 5+ pounders there(largemouth and GIGANTIC Pickerel as well).....There are also Monster Crappies in there....my biggest was prob. over 18 inches long and tons of perch....I stopped going there after I graduated H.S. and moved out of that area which was almost 30 years ago so I can't tell you how it is now....I remember though there were TONS of Black Snakes all over the shoreline and that prob. kept me from going back there many times.........There are no boats allowed(unless that's been changed) but I did once launch an inflatable raft there and explored and saw so much that couldn't be seen from shore....It's prob. worth a try.....Spinnerbaits.Poppers, and Live bait was my baits of choice back then.......Also texas rigged purple Creme 6" rubber worm of Mister Twister also......Good luck and hope that helps......


always nice to meet a fellow Oakland resident... Born and raised there myself...

[Wilson]

I am heading up to Newburgh NY this Saturday for my sons cross country meet and looking for a place to stop on the way back to do a little fishing from shore. Anybody know how to access Ramapo Lake or any information on it? Never been there.

Open to other suggestions off 287 up that way as well.

Thanks,
Ken

So what happened?

[kcritch]

First - Thanks to eveyone for all of the great info...unfortunately I did not see the posts from Friday evening until just now. But will save all of this for the future.

Second - I Suck...Skunked at three of the recommended places. Didn't have time to do the Ramapo Lake hike so stayed with stuff a little closer to the parking areas.

Fished the River up by Ramampo Reservation and Bear Swamp Road, Fished the ponds there as well (Scarlet Oak, etc).

Then stopped at Potash (that place has to be loaded with Bass....looked great) and fished it for about and hour and half...not even a tap. The wife was itchin' to get home at that point since we had been out all day with the cross country meet in the morning and all so called it a day.

Sorry to waste such great intel.....I have been in a real slump lately and have only one fish to my credit in the last 6 outings. Some of those were 8 hr days too! Thinking I should dig out the golf clubs and try that again instead.

Thanks again everyone for all of the help. At least I had a plan and got to try out a few new places.

[Wilson]

First - Thanks to eveyone for all of the great info...unfortunately I did not see the posts from Friday evening until just now. But will save all of this for the future.

Second - I Suck...Skunked at three of the recommended places. Didn't have time to do the Ramapo Lake hike so stayed with stuff a little closer to the parking areas.

Fished the River up by Ramampo Reservation and Bear Swamp Road, Fished the ponds there as well (Scarlet Oak, etc).

Then stopped at Potash (that place has to be loaded with Bass....looked great) and fished it for about and hour and half...not even a tap. The wife was itchin' to get home at that point since we had been out all day with the cross country meet in the morning and all so called it a day.

Sorry to waste such great intel.....I have been in a real slump lately and have only one fish to my credit in the last 6 outings. Some of those were 8 hr days too! Thinking I should dig out the golf clubs and try that again instead.

Thanks again everyone for all of the help. At least I had a plan and got to try out a few new places.
You can't suck unless you try;)
You'll do better next time:)