The lake’s other source of water is Stony Brook. Because two streams feed the lake, it is prone to color-break lines during rainy periods, which makes for some interesting fishing.

Carnegie Lake is a shallow-water fisherman’s dream, with plenty of vegetation along the sides of the lake during the warmwater season.

During the early season, anglers will find plenty of bass in the shallows along the sides of the lake where it warms up quickly.

During the summer season, weedless-rigged plastic baits and topwater baits are the bass fishermen’s main tools. The lake’s banks are lined with trees, providing plenty of shadows that extend the surface-fishing in the morning and bring it on early in the evening. The north shoreline along the lake has numerous boat docks and fallen timber, which make plastic baits the tool of choice during the midday hours.

Carnegie is an electric-only lake, with a boat launch located on the lake’s north side a short distance from the dam. Shoreline access is good along the lake’s south side and spotty along the north side.

UNION LAKE
Located in the far southern portion of the state, Cumberland County’s Union Lake is the largest impoundment in the southern half of New Jersey. The lake’s 898 acres of water provide anglers with both largemouth and smallmouth bass. Union Lake gives anglers consistent quality bass fishing year after year. In 2007, the fishing was particularly excellent, as the lake got a boost from bass that were displaced from nearby Willow Grove Lake, when its waters were lowered for dam improvements.

Union Lake is a typical South Jersey water, being shallow in nature. However, its waters are less acidic and better suited for bass reproduction than many other lakes in this part of the Garden State. As with most shallow lakes in the lower part of the state, Union is one of the first bodies of water to wake up after the winter freeze. During mild years, anglers will fish right through the winter.

As the lake’s water starts warming up in the spring, live bait and spinnerbaits usually take the bulk of the bass. As with many of the top lakes highlighted here, some of the best summer fishing is on the surface, with constant-motion surface baits after dark.

Daytime fishing is a weedless-rigged plastic-bait affair, with some of the better fishing being found in the back half of the lake. This area of Union Lake has plenty of weedlines along the vegetation jutting out from the shoreline.

The lake’s dam was recently rebuilt. Since it’s surrounded by a wildlife management area, there is good access for bank-fishermen. The lake also sports a recently rebuild launch ramp and has a 9.9-horsepower limit.

MALAGA LAKE
Are you looking for a small lake with good fishing? If so, then 105-acre Malaga Lake, which is fed by Scotland Run (a large tributary of the Maurice River drainage), is a good bass-fishing water.

Located in Gloucester County, with a maximum depth of nine feet, the lake is basically a place for shallow-water fishing enthusiasts.

Malaga is one of those lakes targeted heavily by early-season bass fishermen. The lake’s east side averages three to four feet in depth, which is ideal for throwing spinnerbaits and shallow-swimming plugs during the early season.