Trout fishing at Ken Lockwood Gorge

A fly-fishing destination for trout in New Jersey

Although I grew up in New Jersey and fished there regularly, I cannot ever remember having fished for trout.  So, I recently decided to try fly-fishing for trout in a few different waters.  My first attempt was a winter day on the Flatbrook – but an unexpected overnight snowfall and frigid temperatures were not my friend on that morning.

I then became eligible for a hall pass on a recent Easter holiday weekend and decided to try to erase the ‘skunk’ that was the Flatbrook visit on some other waters in the state.  My research turned up several interesting wild trout streams and Trout Conservation Areas in the northern part of the state, among them some small streams in the vicinity of the Delaware Water Gap, as well as the South Branch of the Raritan River in Ken Lockwood Gorge about 40 miles north of Trenton.

I decided first to visit the Delaware Water Gap and spent two half days exploring each of Van Campens Brook and Dunnfield Creek, both of which were touted online as wild trout water worth visiting.  I cannot speak to the former as being interesting as it was unproductive and a bit overgrown.  But the experience at Dunnfield Creek was very enjoyable.  I then found my way to Ken Lockwood Gorge (KLG) to fish the South Branch of the Raritan River for a few hours before the drive back to my home near Washington, DC.

Ken Lockwood Gorge is administered by NJ Fish & Wildlife, and the South Branch of the Raritan River is the central feature of the Gorge. The Gorge is designated as a Trout Conservation Area – specifically, a ‘catch and release’ water where only barbless artificials can be utilized.  On this stretch of the Raritan it is possible to catch native brookies, naturally reproducing browns and rainbows – the latter mostly holdover stockers from other locations.

I arrived at the KLG during a light rain hoping conditions would not worsen and send me back home early.  I entered from Cokesbury Road to the south, where there are two gravel parking lots with ample spaces.  There are numerous 'private' signs leading to this point, but there is about 500 yards of public, ‘catch and release’ fishing downstream of the parking areas.  Here you will find the most accommodating entry to the water from about 200 yards below the first parking lot and extending 200 yards beyond the second gravel lot.

As it turned out, the rain remained light for a short while, maybe more than a drizzle but not quite a shower, so it did not distract from focusing on the fishing.  The hike was easy along the gravel trail that parallels the river.  There are numerous access points from the trail into the river, worn down by anglers over time.  Some are easy walk in, others may be a bit more precarious in terms of obstacles (fallen trees, boulders, etc.).  Do not expect to navigate this water without a wading staff and studded wading boots.

Here the South Branch of the Raritan River is characterized by a series of rapids and runs that traverse a colossal rock garden.  Great boulders rising from the rapids create awesome pockets that trout use to ambush their prey, and submerged rocks the size of bowling balls (and larger) provide hiding spots below.  The flow on this day was about 215 CFS, which one angler I encountered deemed to be optimal conditions.  After learning that I was from out of state, the angler welcomed me by imparting some advice and sharing a couple of BWO fly patterns that he said would be killer.

I began fishing with a two-fly rig suspended under a wool indicator with a heavier nymph as the point fly and a zebra midge as the dropper, with a small split shot above the nymph. An hour into my fishing I did not have a single take.  At first, I presumed that was due to poor fly selection and changed out different patterns several times.  It turns out I was not getting the flies down deep enough (as suggested by another angler).  So, I switched to a heavier nymph and added weight above.

Still nothing another hour into my fishing and I was again offered support by a passing angler – switch to natural flies with no bling and cast directly upstream into the seam, halting the cast abruptly to send the fly down fast and moving slow, while high-sticking the rig back to me.  I switched to a bead head hare’s ear as the point fly, trailing an orange and partridge soft hackle.  Within minutes I was hooking up fish, a small brown trout to begin with, followed by what I presume was a small rainbow, neither of which I was able to put in the net (barbless hooks were working).

So, I switched to a more ‘natural’ hare’s ear and the BWO that had been gifted to me and again started hooking up, but these trout were feisty and I still had nothing in the net.  After reverting to the soft hackle, I moved a few spots up stream and finally hooked into a meaningful rainbow trout that took as the indicator was just about to pass me – so this fish had been just to my left and looking upstream.  A reasonably good battle ensued and I had a 10 or 11-inch stocked rainbow in the net within a minute.

The South Branch of the Raritan in Ken Lockwood Gorge is a challenging water, no doubt. I can think of only one water in the Mid-Atlantic region that I found more challenging - the Savage River in Western Maryland. I would say that the Savage is aptly named, especially the section below the dam where it is a four-mile runway of large, slippery boulders that can be diabolical to wade and fish, even with studded boots and a wading staff.

Tight lines!