The last section of the river to mention flows between Warren Glen and the Delaware River. It is one of the better sections of river and is stocked heavily. The main access road to the river in this section is county Route 627, which parallels the river from SR 579 down to near Mt. Joy on the Delaware River. This stretch of river contains a smorgasbord of trout-holding structure. It contains a blend of eddies, small pools, undercut trees and runs with long, quiet stretches, deep pools, bridges and a dam.

POHATCONG CREEK

Pohatcong Creek, from its head- waters in Washington Township to its confluence with the Delaware River, passes through some of the most pristine country settings of any stream in the state. Likewise, it also comes in contact with bastions of modern civilization like the busy town of Washington and Interstate Route 78, and routes 57, 31 and 519, all of which give you access to its waters.

Although Pohatcong Creek does not get all the hoopla that some of the more famous streams in the state receive, it surely is on a par with such streams as the South Branch, Musconetcong and Flat Brook. Pohatcong’s waters are supplied by a variety of streams and cold, clear springs, giving it a cool, clear water supply throughout the year. Another reason the stream’s water remains cool year ’round is that it flows through deep ravines and tree-shaded areas. Pohatcong Creek even flows through the mountains in two places via tunnels.

Some of the areas that are stocked along the uppermost stretch of the stream include the SR 31 bridge, along with Valley and Belvidere roads. If you like out-of-the-way trout fishing, the section that lies below the SR 31 bridge is one of the most secluded stretches on the river.

Once you reach the town of Washington, the stream begins to shrink in size and takes on the appearance of a small brook. In a lot of places along this stretch, the stream will flow along a flat, rocky bottom and be very shallow in nature. And then all of a sudden it’ll plummet into a deep hole. The stream is stocked at the SR 57 bridge, plus Edison Road and near the town of Broadway. Another good section is the portion of the creek that runs from Willow Grove Road through Stewartsville to SR 173.

Between routes 173 and 519 lies one of the most picturesque stretches on any stream in New Jersey; the creek flows through two tunnels and a good-sized gorge. It is stocked in numerous areas and Ravine Road is the access to its waters. Pohatcong Creek in this stretch offers some excellent fishing during times of poor weather, due to the high wall of the ravine and the sheltered nature of the creek in this section. Some of the deepest holes along the creek are found in this section and good-sized holdover trout are common here.

THE MANASQUAN RIVER

The Manasquan River is the state’s best-known middle state trout stream and is the home of Jersey’s Sea Run Brown Trout Program. As part of this program, the Division of Fish and Game has stocked better than 100,000 sea-run brown trout (30,000-plus a year) in the Manasquan River. Couple this with the river’s normal stocking and you have the most heavily stocked trout steam in the middle part of the state. In addition, the Manasquan Reservoir is also located on the river and is stocked with over 11,000 trout every year.

The Manasquan is stocked from the SR 9 bridge to the Manasquan Wildlife Management Area (WMA). One of the best stretches of the stream is located in the Manasquan River WMA. Access to the stream is along SR 524 from the north of Ramshorn Drive. This section is one of the wider stretches on the stream and is a favorite of fly- and spin-fishermen.

The river below the Hospital Road Bridge is another prime spot for trout anglers. This area is accented by undercut banks, overhanging vegetation and small pools. Wading is difficult here because of the soft bottom; however, shoreline access is good during the spring. Mealworms and garden hackle work best in this area.