Reservoir · Clinton, Hunterdon, New Jersey

Spruce Run Reservoir

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Current Lake Rating

Point-in-time lake rating — separate from the trip recommendation below.

Good80

Conditions look good for a Warmwater lake trip. Water temperature is within a preferred warmwater range.

Scores are model-specific and are not directly comparable across water types.

Rating confidence: High

Should I Go?

Go

Fishing guidance for this destination based on available lake conditions, weather, and seasonal context. It is not a boating, swimming, ice, or access-safety rating.

Recommendation confidence: Medium (73)

Guidance uses the shared lake fishing model. It is not destination-specific calibration.

Best window

Sun, 8:00 AM–11:00 AM

Why

  • Wind is in a helpful range for lake fishing and boat control

Current Readings

Water level
262.33 ft
Change over 24 hours
+0.10 ft
Trend
Rising
Water temperature
21.8 °C

≈ 71.2 °F

Last updated
1 hr ago

Source: USGS · Spruce Run Reservoir at Clinton NJ · 01396790 · Elevation, lake/res, NAVD88

Better Nearby Options

Checking nearby StrikeTracks waters…

Weather Near Lake

Current Weather

Overcast

Temperature

72°F

Feels like

75°F

Wind

4 mph NW

Wind gust

20 mph

Current precipitation

0.00 in

Updated

Sep 5, 2026, 1:30 AM

Recent Rainfall

Estimated precipitation near this lake

Last 6 hours

0.00 in

Last 24 hours

0.00 in

Last 48 hours

1.24 in

Little recent rainfall near this lake.

Next 24 Hours

  • Sat 4 AM

    Clear

    Temp 68°F

    Chance 1%

    Precip 0.00 in

    Wind 3 mph

  • Sat 8 AM

    Clear

    Temp 68°F

    Chance 0%

    Precip 0.00 in

    Wind 5 mph

  • Sat 12 PM

    Clear

    Temp 75°F

    Chance 0%

    Precip 0.00 in

    Wind 7 mph

  • Sat 4 PM

    Clear

    Temp 78°F

    Chance 0%

    Precip 0.00 in

    Wind 8 mph

  • Sat 8 PM

    Clear

    Temp 70°F

    Chance 1%

    Precip 0.00 in

    Wind 4 mph

  • Sun 12 AM

    Clear

    Temp 65°F

    Chance 1%

    Precip 0.00 in

    Wind 3 mph

Four-Day Forecast

  • Sat, Sep 5

    Overcast

    High 78°F / Low 66°F

    Chance 1%

    Precip 0.00 in

    Max gust 19 mph

  • Sun, Sep 6

    Overcast

    High 73°F / Low 61°F

    Chance 5%

    Precip 0.00 in

    Max gust 16 mph

  • Mon, Sep 7

    Overcast

    High 79°F / Low 55°F

    Chance 3%

    Precip 0.00 in

    Max gust 9 mph

  • Tue, Sep 8

    Overcast

    High 81°F / Low 57°F

    Chance 1%

    Precip 0.00 in

    Max gust 7 mph

Weather and rainfall are estimated for this lake's coordinates. Local conditions can vary, especially in mountainous terrain and during isolated storms.

Recent rainfall can influence lake level and access, but the timing and magnitude depend on watershed size, soil conditions, and reservoir operations where applicable.

Weather data: Open-Meteo

Reservoir Elevation History

Reservoir Elevation

Elevation is reported relative to the datum used by this USGS monitoring site. Elevations from different lakes or datums should not be directly compared.

Loading historical elevation…

Fishery Profile

Documented species you may encounter at Spruce Run Reservoir.

Medium confidenceLast verified: Aug 11, 2026

Species images are AI-generated illustrations for visual reference and may simplify natural variation. Fishery records are based on the cited agency sources. About fish illustrations

Fishery overview

Spruce Run Reservoir is a major central New Jersey warmwater reservoir fishery with largemouth/smallmouth bass and hybrid striped bass emphasis. USGS 01396790 provides live water temperature and reservoir elevation. Trout may be secondary/seasonal and are not treated as the defining coldwater profile.

Target species

  • Hybrid Striped Bass

    Morone saxatilis × Morone chrysops

    Expectation
    Primary
    Population
    Stocked
    Native status
    introduced
    Confidence
    Medium confidence

    Important managed warmwater/coolwater sportfish in Spruce Run.

    Source: New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

  • Largemouth Bass

    Micropterus nigricans

    Expectation
    Primary
    Population
    Established
    Native status
    introduced
    Confidence
    High confidence

    Primary warmwater destination target per NJ catalog adjudication.

    Source: New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

  • Smallmouth Bass

    Micropterus dolomieu

    Expectation
    Primary
    Population
    Established
    Native status
    introduced
    Confidence
    High confidence

    Primary warmwater destination target per NJ catalog adjudication.

    Source: New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

  • Channel Catfish

    Ictalurus punctatus

    Expectation
    Common
    Population
    Established
    Native status
    unknown
    Confidence
    Medium confidence

    Warmwater secondary target.

    Source: New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

  • Rainbow Trout

    Oncorhynchus mykiss

    Expectation
    Present
    Population
    Stocked
    Native status
    introduced
    Confidence
    Medium confidence

    Secondary/seasonal; not a coldwater-lake profile pin.

    Source: New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

Fishery characteristics

Composition
Mixed wild and stocked

Regulated Hunterdon County water-supply/recreation reservoir with warmwater bass and hybrid striper habitat; elevation context is available but does not represent full-column thermal structure.

Best seasons

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Fall

Common techniques

  • Boat fishing
  • Shore fishing
  • Spinning

Access and Public Fishing Rights

Public recreation access through Spruce Run Recreation Area; confirm current NJDEP Parks boat-launch and shore-access postings.

Stocking information

Confirm any current NJ Fish & Wildlife stockings on the official freshwater stocking schedules. Hybrid striped bass and warmwater gamefish are the primary management context.

  • Hybrid Striped Bass

    Stocked · New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

    Stocked

  • Rainbow Trout

    Stocked · New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

    Stocked

Official sources

Regulations can change. Verify the official New Jersey freshwater fishing digest and any reservoir-specific notices before fishing.

Hatch Match

No destination-specific hatch data is currently available.

General fly suggestions

  • Woolly-bugger-style streamerConservative overlap streamer family. Not an insect Hatch claim.
  • Parachute-style dryOne general surface family appropriate to mixed fisheries — not a Hatch report.
  • Pheasant-tail-style nymphOne general subsurface family. Not destination entomology.

These are general fishing suggestions, not a report of insects currently hatching at this destination.

Location and Access

Cataloged lake location

Clinton, Hunterdon, New Jersey

Loading map…
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The map marker represents the cataloged waterbody or monitoring location and may not indicate legal parking or public access. Confirm access through the official information before visiting.

Lake Details

Town

Clinton

County

Hunterdon

Management Category

Warmwater reservoir (mixed; trout secondary)

Regulation Scope

Spruce Run Reservoir

Regulation Summary

New Jersey freshwater fishing regulations apply; confirm current NJ Fish & Wildlife seasons and limits for Spruce Run Reservoir.

Target Species

Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Channel Catfish, Panfish, Trout

Public Access

Public

Boat Launch

Available

Shore Fishing

Available

Description

Hunterdon County warmwater reservoir at Spruce Run Recreation Area near Clinton. USGS monitoring location 01396790 provides live water temperature (00010) and reservoir elevation (62614 NGVD29 / 62615 NAVD88). Elevation is lake-level context only and is not used as thermal evidence. Coordinates are the USGS monitoring-location point.