Ned Rig Fishing on Greenwood Lake
Greenwood Lake · New Jersey / New York · Northeast
Greenwood Lake is a natural glacial lake spanning roughly 1,920 acres along the NJ/NY state line in the Hudson Highlands, running about 9 miles north to south with a maximum depth near 60 feet. The fishery mixes rocky points and submerged boulder fields favored by smallmouth with shallow weedy coves and dock-lined bays that hold quality largemouth. Water clarity trends toward the clear side — often 8–12 feet of Secchi visibility in summer — which demands finesse presentations more often than most anglers from the region expect.
Ned Rig pairs a 3–4" ElaZtech-style floating plastic (TRD, Finesse TRD, or similar) on a 1/15–1/6 oz mushroom head jig. The bait's buoyancy causes it to stand upright on the bottom, creating a subtle action that triggers bites when nothing else will. Exceptional on hard bottom, gravel, and rock.
Ned Rig Setup for Greenwood Lake
| Rod | 6'10"–7'2" medium-light spinning rod, moderate-fast action |
| Reel | 2500 size spinning reel |
| Line | 10 lb braid + 8 lb fluorocarbon leader |
| Weight | 1/15–1/6 oz mushroom jig head (Z-Man Finesse ShroomZ or similar) |
| Hook | Size 1 or 1/0 wide gap, built into jig head |
Seasonal Tactics on Greenwood Lake
Lake: Largemouth stage on the warmer northern coves and shoreline dock pilings as early as late April, with spawning beds visible in 3–6 ft of water over sandy and gravel substrate; smallmouth come onto rocky points and windswept gravel flats as water climbs through the upper 50s.
Ned Rig: Deadly on pre-spawn fish holding on gravel and pea-gravel flats in 4–12 feet.
Lake: Thermocline sets up around 25–30 ft by mid-July, pushing smallmouth to rocky transitions and deep boulder piles at the 15–25 ft range while largemouth suspend under docks and in submerged weed canopies; topwater action on schooling bass occurs in the main lake basin at dawn.
Ned Rig: Work deeper rock piles and main lake points. Drag slowly, let it stand. Green pumpkin and watermelon dominate.
Lake: Shad and perch migrations concentrate bass on main-lake points and channel swings through October; this is the best window for big smallmouth on the rocky northeastern shoreline as water cools through the 55–48°F range.
Ned Rig: One of the best techniques as fish get finicky before winter. Match shad colors on sandy/gravel bottom.
Lake: Ice cover is inconsistent year to year; open-water periods see largemouth pushed tight to deep dock pilings and smallmouth parked on deep gravel transitions in 35–50 ft, largely inactive and best approached with a slow drop-shot or finesse presentation.
Ned Rig: Best cold-water finesse technique after drop shot. Extremely slow drag on hard bottom near deep structure.
Best Conditions
Clear water, hard and rocky bottoms, post-cold-front, heavily pressured fish, any season except peak summer spawn
Use Z-Man ElaZtech plastics exclusively — they float and are nearly indestructible. Regular soft plastics sink and kill the technique.
More Techniques for Greenwood Lake
Ready to fish Greenwood Lake?
Ask Hank about current conditions, water temp, and exactly what to throw today.
Ask Hank →