Prospertown Lake Wildlife Management Area is 1,030.68 acres located in Jackson Township, Ocean County and Millstone and Upper Freehold Township in Monmouth County. The WMA was funded through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and Green Acres funds.
Boating
The lake is about 80 acres in size and features several coves to explore. The lake is ideal for recreational kayakers but will also accommodate larger sea kayaks. On Prospertown Lake, only manually operated boats and canoes are allowed. A boat ramp permit or valid hunting, fishing or trapping license is required to use the boat ramp. Like all Wildlife Management Areas, swimming is not permitted.
Fishing
Largemouth Bass can be found in the lily pads and around sunken or standing timber and man-made structures. Some large chain pickerel also reside in the lake. It is amply stocked with all manner of freshwater fish including catfish and crappies from the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery, and it receives a spring stocking of trout from the Pequest Trout Hatchery. The maximum depth is around 11 feet. Shoreline access is limited to the beach area, to the left of the beach area and along the dam. There is a fishing dock for shoreline anglers, and a dock by the boat ramp which has a kayak launch. Ivanhoe Brook and a small oxbow pond contain fallfish, bluegills, pickerel, a few bass, darters and even snakeheads have been reported.
Deer Hunting
Prospertown Lake WMA is in Deer Management Zones 17 and 18 and has a healthy deer population.
Access
Prospertown Lake is easily reached via the New Jersey Turnpike to the Route 195 exit. Take Route 195 east to the “Route 537/Jackson/Great Adventure” exit. Bear right off the exit and follow past Great Adventure to the Prospertown Lake WMA entrance on the left. Millerville Road and Monmouth Road provide access to the upper tract above the lake where Ivanhoe Brook bisects the WMA.
Owned by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Fish & Wildlife, the Wildlife Management Area System is comprised of more than 360,000 acres in 122 areas throughout the state, which is more than 44% of New Jersey’s state-owned public open space. WMAs are maintained and supported with funding from license sales, the Federal Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program and the Wildlife Habitat Supporter Program.
If you are interested in supporting the maintenance of Prospertown Lake WMA and other Wildlife Management Areas, become a Wildlife Habitat Supporter by donating now:
WMAs are patrolled by NJ Fish & Wildlife Conservation Police Officers to ensure public safety. If you see violations while visiting a WMA, please call the 24-hour DEP hotline at 877-WARN-DEP (877-927-6337).
The views expressed by the editors, authors or users of this linked article are expressly theirs, and do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of Dallas Safari Club Northeast, its employees, members or assigns. Any concerns about a site user’s post should be addressed appropriately to that person. Any concerns about an advertiser, a user or any content on this site should be addressed to contact@dscnortheast.org.
