Garden State Trout

For those who fish the Ramapo I was wondering what it's like to fish from Mahwah to Oakland. I'm fairly close however I never fished it. Thinking of adding it to my rotation this season.

What is the water like, riffles, slow runs and long quiet pools, or...?
Stream bed is it, silty, slippery, small coarse stone, or small to large boulders similar to a classic freestone?

Thanks in advance.

Hi, Just to let you know that I have been fishing the Ramapo since I was 12 years old. I am now 89. Fish it from the Mahwah/Oakland border. Down stream to pompton lake. Stand on the bridge and look upstream to where the bend is the parking before the bridge is county property. Follow the path up stream to the Island and fish down stream. Mid May a few years ago I had a ball with no one else around . I started around 6:45 in the evening and Grayfoxes started hactching about 7:00, The hatch lasted about one hour and I probably caught and released 30 or 40 trout. I fished from the Island down to just about the bridge.
So if you decide to fish it fish in the evening. Bill the mailman

Thank you Bill, greatly appreciated.

The Ramapo has a mostly silty bottom. It has it's mayfly population, but it's primarily a caddis river.
When there's no obvious hatch, I've had good luck with caddis pupa.

Thanks Pete, I assumed it was silty. I appreciate the reply.

Ive fish that river since I was 10 years old. Im 59 now. fished from RT17 bridge down to Oakland old Pleasureland pool park. some parts contains all the stream conditions you mentioned. I found it all. Very productive local water for me. Heavily stocked. My semi home river. This was caught a few years ago. The ramapo river never disappointed me . I wade into places in the river most guys wont or want to

Nice one Troutman. I'll give it a try this season.

cappy wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 01, 2026 10:41 am

Nice one Troutman. I'll give it a try this season.

you wont be dissapointed !!!!

My firm is working with Dresner Robin Engineering on a river restoration for the mighty 'Po starting immediately below Lenape Lane and ending at the Railroad crossing. This forum's setup doesn't allow me to post up the design as it is in .pdf. Let me see if I can save some pages as .jpg files. Hard to say if that will happen this year or next until we have permits in hand and the construction goes out to bid.

Here is the plan for enhancement of the Ramapo in part of the Borough of Oakland...

One of the few bigger NJ streams that I've never fished, I probably should hit it and cross it off the "bucket" list. Anybody fish in on the NY in the Tuxedo area?

Drossi wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 03, 2026 10:52 am

One of the few bigger NJ streams that I've never fished, I probably should hit it and cross it off the "bucket" list. Anybody fish in on the NY in the Tuxedo area?

I road my ten speed there with my best friend when we were kids at least a few times. Spin fished the huge pool below the big lake, but never up in Oakland or Mahwah or NY state.

@Rusty - Is the renovation geared to Trout habitat, or simply stream restoration? Am I safe to assume there are no "wild" Trout in the Ramapo?

Drossi wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 03, 2026 10:52 am

One of the few bigger NJ streams that I've never fished, I probably should hit it and cross it off the "bucket" list. Anybody fish in on the NY in the Tuxedo area?

Yes. its mostly smallmouth bass in that area

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 02, 2026 8:38 am

My firm is working with Dresner Robin Engineering on a river restoration for the mighty 'Po starting immediately below Lenape Lane and ending at the Railroad crossing. This forum's setup doesn't allow me to post up the design as it is in .pdf. Let me see if I can save some pages as .jpg files. Hard to say if that will happen this year or next until we have permits in hand and the construction goes out to bid.

That is 1 of the area's on the ramapo I fish. Good to see some restoration work there. Im going to have to learn it that area again after you guys are finished with it

cappy wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 03, 2026 5:34 pm

Am I safe to assume there are no "wild" Trout in the Ramapo?

There are a few tributaries that feed into the ramapo that hold wild brook trout in the mahwah area

cappy wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 03, 2026 5:34 pm

@Rusty - Is the renovation geared to Trout habitat, or simply stream restoration? Am I safe to assume there are no "wild" Trout in the Ramapo?

It is to repair all of the "shoaling" that occurred when a large bank below Crystal Lake sloughed into the river during Hurricane Irene a bunch of years ago now. All that material is wreaking havoc in the river as it slowly moves and deposits downstream. Our plans will address most of that issue down to the RR trestle. Below that is the US Army Corps flood control project, and we won't be working in that area. The pools will serve as both trout and smallmouth bass habitat, seasonally depending. It will be interesting to see if any pools dug hit cool groundwater allowing the stocked rainbows to make it through summer. That's not a goal of this project, but there's at least a chance it could happen.

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 04, 2026 9:28 am

cappy wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 03, 2026 5:34 pm

@Rusty - Is the renovation geared to Trout habitat, or simply stream restoration? Am I safe to assume there are no "wild" Trout in the Ramapo?

It will be interesting to see if any pools dug hit cool groundwater allowing the stocked rainbows to make it through summer. That's not a goal of this project, but there's at least a chance it could happen.

Fingers crossed.

Troutman wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 03, 2026 6:02 pm

cappy wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 03, 2026 5:34 pm

Am I safe to assume there are no "wild" Trout in the Ramapo?

There are a few tributaries that feed into the ramapo that hold wild brook trout in the mahwah area

I know of one, however public access seems to be impossible.

cappy wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 04, 2026 4:55 pm

Troutman wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 03, 2026 6:02 pm

cappy wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 03, 2026 5:34 pm

Am I safe to assume there are no "wild" Trout in the Ramapo?

There are a few tributaries that feed into the ramapo that hold wild brook trout in the mahwah area

I know of one, however public access seems to be impossible.

You can hike to at least two from the Ramapo Reservation county park. Look at the trail maps.