Successful management of New Jersey's warm/cool water fisheries resource is based upon specific knowledge of its physical, chemical, biological, and use characteristics. Such knowledge may serve to direct immediate management recommendations or be used as a base upon which to recognize future changes requiring remedial management efforts.

The Inventory of New Jersey Lakes Project collects physical, chemical and biological data upon which to base fisheries management recommendations. These parameters are analyzed for each lake utilizing standard sampling techniques.

Physical parameters include morphometry, bathymetry, access, watershed, and aquatic vegetation characteristics. Chemical parameters include basic water chemistry and sediment nutrient characteristics. Biological parameters include fish species composition, abundance (catch-per-unit-effort), length frequency distribution, and calculated indices of population structure and dynamics such as proportional stock density (PSD) and relative weight (Wr) and age and growth.

The results of individual surveys are prepared as fisheries management plans. Reports include current status of the lake, fishery resource and recommendations for improvements. These reports are summarized and published for dissemination to the angling public.

Management Plans

Lake Hopatcong (pdf, 1.1mb)

Lake Musconetcong (pdf, 290kb)

Union Lake (pdf, 960kb)