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Anyone know how to access the Passaic River near the Rt80 bridge?

upyun

Just finished a River Runs Through it!
I want to get my first Northern Pike under my belt and I've heard this river is the place to be (for Jersey anyway). I've driven over the Passaic on Rt. 80 multiple times, but have never seen an "off ramp" to access the river. Can anyone help me out with some directions on where to park and how to access the river?

Thanks!

Brian
 
I have fished the Passaic River since I was a kid, and the river probably has more public access than any other in the state ( sans the Delaware).

There is Public access near the Livingston Mall where South Orange Avenue Turns into Columbia Tpk on the essex Morris Line.

Eagle Rock Avenue in Roseland NJ

Horseneck Road by Two Bridges in Fairfield

The list goes on.

The entire greenway is public on the essex and Morris cnty border.

I am not that familiar with the River past Fairfield, and I know that is the zone where most of the toothy critters are caught. I believe the Wanaque/Pequannock/Ramapo and Pompton River all converge just upstream of this area and alot of the Resovoir Dogs that escape make it down to the Fairfield Zone and call that home.

Hope this helps.

ralph
 
Rt 23 ( Pompton Tpk ) crosses the Passaic as you head north ( just before Willowbrook Mall ). That always looked like potential Pike water to me.
Lots of businesses there - you could probably park without a problem.
 
Hi Brian, I heard on other sites that the passaic is best around two bridges and I have also thought about going there for pike... Last Saturday I went to Spruce Run Reservoir which is a good pike spot early in the season after ice out... but there was still plenty of ice in the cove, still more than 1" solid. Send me a pm if you want to find out more.
Karel
 
I know of a few tribs that empty into the Passaic and had been thinking about the cleaner and clearer water dumping in, I wonder if that would attract something to hang out there or perhaps the first hundred yards up such tribs, anyone got any theories on that ?
 
I've been a Floridian for more than three decades but I grew up fishing the Passaic when you could still catch smallmouths in the white water below the Little Falls dam.

There's a place we called "The Boats" that should provide easy access (park and launch). Google Earth might help. Go to Little Falls. Take Main Street north or south (depending) to Grey Rock Ave. (n) Go to the end and take (River Road???) left (w). Follow the river north a few blocks. You'll see a strip of public land along the river bank and an island to your north. If its quiet you may still hear the excited babble of boys catching fish.

Good luck!
 
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Thanks to everyone who has posted info so far in this thread. This is great information! I usually only have a chance to get back into north jersey on the seldom weekends I have off work and when I do it's either fishing local places that I already know of or working on my car. I'll certainly try to use and fish some of the locations you've all posted on here this year. I'm getting more into Saltwater, but until the backbays warm up a bit, I'm dying to catch some waterwolves (pike/pickerel) this weekend!!
 
I guess Route 80 crosses the Passaic more than once.

If Ralph hadn't already given a better answer, I probably would have sent him to the Park across the street from the Elmwood Park High School on River Drive.
 
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