Sheppards Lake (Shephard Lake)

Fishing and stocking

Rainbow trout water, stocked 4 times in 2026, spread April to October, heaviest in May; 1,990 fish reported.

New Jersey · see it on the national map

last stocked Oct 16 7 days ago

best window 9:56-11:56 pm solunar major today

4 stockings 2026

1,990 fish reported

The year here

stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details

What swims here

Rainbow trout 4 stockings

Stocking record 2026

Agency feed checked today.

Date	Species	Size	Fish	Status
Apr 24	Rainbow trout	catchable	580	completed
May 8	Rainbow trout	catchable	580	completed
May 13	Rainbow trout	catchable	580	completed
Oct 16	Rainbow trout	catchable	250	completed

When to fish Sheppards Lake (Shephard Lake)

	Major periods (~2 h)	Minor periods (~1 h)
Today	9:33-11:33 am and 9:56-11:56 pm	3:50-4:50 am and 4:06-5:06 pm
Tomorrow	10:19 am-12:19 pm and 10:43 pm-12:43 am	4:59-5:59 am and 4:29-5:29 pm

Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).

What the record actually says

Stocked 7 days ago (Oct 16)

Computed this evening, Oct 23 · New Jersey fishing forecast

Gear for this water

Stocked within the last three weeks: fish are still bunched near the release points and keyed on familiar smells.

For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 4 times here in 2026, stillwater)

Dough bait rigs	floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell
Casting spoons	1/8 to 1/4 oz in fluorescent or metallic; count down until you find the depth
Small crankbaits	trout-pattern cranks trolled or slow-retrieved off points

Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.

Nearby stocked waters

The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.

Water	Distance	Most recent
Ringwood Brook	1.2 mi	May 20
Wanaque River Upper	4.8 mi	Oct 16
Green Turtle Pond	5.4 mi	Oct 19
Ramapo River	6.3 mi	Oct 16
Potash Lake	8.2 mi	Apr 30

Follow New Jersey stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule

Records from New Jersey Fish and Wildlife (official page). Placement from New Jersey Fish and Wildlife coordinates. Schedules change without notice. Seasons, limits, and licenses: New Jersey fishing regulations.