New Jersey may be better known for boardwalks, diners, and the Parkway, but it offers far more fly fishing than most people expect. From cold trout streams in the northwest to productive saltwater along the Jersey Shore, the Garden State packs an impressive variety of fisheries into a relatively small area. It's a place where you can fish for trout in the morning and striped bass in the surf that same evening.

Northwestern New Jersey is home to excellent trout fishing, led by the legendary South Branch Raritan and Musconetcong Rivers, along with productive stretches of the Delaware River. Wild and stocked populations of brown, rainbow, and brook trout provide outstanding opportunities throughout much of the year, while the Delaware also supports excellent fishing for smallmouth bass, shad, and other gamefish.

Of course, ask most anglers what New Jersey is famous for and they'll tell you one word: stripers. Every spring and fall, migrating striped bass flood the beaches, inlets, and back bays, creating some of the finest surf fishing on the East Coast. Whether you're swinging streamers through a trout run or casting into the Atlantic at sunrise, New Jersey proves there's much more to the state than turnpikes and traffic.