Fly Fishing the Ken Lockwood Gorge, NJ
(Note: This article by Gregg Rockett first appeared in the Summer 2024 Issue of Dark Skies Fly Fishing Magazine, which you can read and download for free.)
I grew up in New Jersey and my early fishing exploits were focused on surf fishing for striped bass (stripers) near Toms River. As far as I can recall, I had never fished for trout in New Jersey until recently. My first attempt at fly-fishing for trout was on the Flatbrook in February of 2023, but an early morning snowfall and frigid temperatures (which the weather forecast failed to mention) were not my friend on that morning. Given the conditions, my approach probably should have been different – I would have been better off with my nymphing rod and a heavier tandem of flies. But it was a nice learning experience.
With a hall pass for Easter weekend, I decided to try my luck again at netting my first trout in New Jersey, so I researched a few options in the northern part of the state. It turns out there are a number of interesting wild trout streams and Trout Conservation Areas in this part of the state. I was intrigued by some online recommendations in the vicinity of the Delaware Water Gap courtesy of the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife, and I had intended these would be the subject of this article. But it turns out that a stopover destination on the way home (sourced from a friend at the Orvis store here in Northern Virginia) would change everything – the South Branch of the Raritan River in Ken Lockwood Gorge, which lies about 40 miles north of Trenton.
New Jersey Fly Fishing
As I mentioned, I grew up in Jersey but have not spent much time there in the last decade or so. During recent visits, and particularly this one, I was reminded that the state is a bit quirky in a few ways. To start with, people there do not go to the beach – they go “down the shore.” They also do not eat Italian subs there, but rather hoagies. You are also not trusted to pump your own gas (all gas stations have an attendant to pump the gas) and in many cases it costs more per gallon if you pay by credit card. On top of that, on major highways you generally cannot make a left turn at a traffic light, but must take a right using a ‘jug handle’ turn to cross the road.
I half-expected then that trout fishing in New Jersey would involve some idiosyncrasies. I was relieved to learn when I dropped into the local fly shop, Golden Stone Outfitters (GSO), that I did not have to adjust my approach to fly fishing! I only needed a license for trout fishing – which, ironically, you do not need for ‘shore’ fishing! Owner Fredy de León is a gem, always responsive and generous with advice. Of course, I walked away with some nuggets of information regarding my destinations, as well as a handful of flies that would (hopefully) guarantee success!
So, after a day and a half of tootling around the Delaware Water Gap area in search of wild trout, I found myself at Ken Lockwood Gorge (KLG) early Monday morning during a light rain and thinking that conditions would worsen and send me back to Northern Virginia after a short while. Ken Lockwood Gorge is administered by NJ Fish & Wildlife, and the South Branch of the Raritan River is the central feature of the Gorge and 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.
South Branch Raritan River
I arrived to the south lots of the KLG from Cokesbury Road, where there are two gravel parking lots with ample spaces. There are numerous Private signs leading to this point but 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 I fished on. 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.).
The South Branch of the Raritan River here 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 (named A.J.) deemed to be optimal conditions. He also proclaimed this to be the best trout water in the state but admitted that he was local and biased! A.J., learning that I was from out of state, welcomed me by imparting some advice and sharing a couple of Blue Wing Olive (BWO) fly patterns that he said would be killer.
At above 200 CFS the flow felt strong against my legs. I was not able to navigate without a wading staff, and the aforementioned ‘rock garden’ proved to be a challenging obstacle course that required studded wading boots. If you are not agile or fit, it is not recommended to venture into strong current, but rather find a sandy oasis close to shore from which to cast. Although I do regular CrossFit training and am reasonably fit, I found the wading conditions a challenge.
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 it.
An hour later, I was again offered support by a passing angler. He recommended I 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 Beadhead Hare’s Ear as the point fly, trailing an Orange and Partridge Soft Hackle. Within minutes I had action, a small wild brown and what I presumed was a holdover rainbow trout.
Later, I switched to a more natural Hare’s Ear Nymph (no bead) and A.J.’s BWO pattern and started hooking up again but quickly lost a coupe fish. They were feisty trout! After reverting to the soft hackle, I moved a few spots upstream and finally hooked into a meaningful rainbow trout that took as the indicator was just about to pass me. 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. But having the chance to fish for and land a few trout in the state where I grew up was a great experience. I cannot wait to get back to Ken Lockwood Gorge!
(Read more articles by Gregg Rockett on his blog, The Trout Bandit.)
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