Hopatcong State Park
Swim, fish, and walk the Morris Canal dam at Hopatcong State Park on NJ's biggest lake
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At a glance
- Guarded swimming beach on Lake Hopatcong, open Memorial Day through Labor Day
- Year-round trout fishing on two lakes, both stocked with brown, rainbow, and brook trout
- Free Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum in the old lock tender's house, run by the historical society
The Front Door to New Jersey’s Largest Lake: Hopatcong State Park
Lake Hopatcong is the largest lake in New Jersey, nine miles long with 2,500 acres of freshwater, and since 1922 Hopatcong State Park has been the public way in. The park holds the southwest corner of the lake in Landing, a few minutes off Route 80 and directly across the water from Hopatcong Borough on the Sussex County side. Summer is the headline season here. Visitors get a swimming beach, a large picnic area with grills, boat launch access onto Lake Hopatcong, volleyball and basketball courts, a soccer field, and playground equipment, which in practice means one carload can split into swimmers, anglers, and grill tenders and everyone stays happy. Swimming runs Memorial Day through Labor Day, and only while lifeguards are on duty, so check the schedule before promising anyone a beach day.
Built by the Morris Canal
The lake itself is an engineering project. Lake Hopatcong was created as the main water source for the Morris Canal, a waterway completed in 1837 that used locks and inclined planes to carry canal boats loaded with coal, iron ore, and produce across the state. Railroads eventually made the canal obsolete, and the state turned its reservoir into a park. Remnants of the canal survive on the grounds, and the old locktender’s house now holds the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum, where the exhibits reach back further still: the Lenape knew this region as hapakonoesson, thought to mean “stone water” or “stone over water.”
Fishing, Boating, and the Off-Season
The public ramp makes this the easiest free launch point on Lake Hopatcong, and boat rentals are available at private marinas around the shore. Fishing is year-round, subject to NJDEP regulations, and the state stocks the water with brown, rainbow, and brook trout. When the lake locks up in winter, ice fishing takes over, and the empty picnic lawns turn into some of the area’s easiest sledding. A second parcel of the park sits on Lake Musconetcong about a mile to the west, a quieter option when the main lot is full. For more open space nearby, browse parks and trails around Sussex County.
FAQ
Is there a fee to get into Hopatcong State Park?
Yes, a per-vehicle entrance fee is charged from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day at the main park in Landing. Off-season entry is free, and the park Annex in the Borough of Hopatcong has no entry fee at all.
Can you swim at Hopatcong State Park?
Yes. The park has a guarded swimming beach on Lake Hopatcong that is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day while lifeguards are on duty. Swimming is only permitted during posted hours when guards are present.
What kind of fishing is at Lake Hopatcong State Park?
Year-round trout fishing on two lakes. Both Lake Hopatcong and nearby Lake Musconetcong are stocked with brown, rainbow, and brook trout, and the park sits on the shoreline of both, so anglers can fish either without moving far.
Where is Hopatcong State Park located?
The main park is at 260 Lakeside Blvd in the Landing section of Roxbury Township, at the southern end of Lake Hopatcong. The lake spans both Sussex and Morris Counties, and a park annex sits in Hopatcong Borough in Sussex County.
What is there to do at Hopatcong State Park besides swimming?
Plenty. You can fish two stocked lakes, launch a boat, picnic near the shore, and tour the free Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum in the old lock tender's house, which tells the story of the Morris Canal and the lake's resort era.
