Fishing reports & field guides

Lake · Freshwater

Mary Elmer Lake

South New Jersey

Position

39°26.8′N 75°15.0′W

Mary Elmer Lake is a small lake of about 20 acres in Bridgeton City Park, Cumberland County, and one of the older impoundments in the state. It's a year-round fishery: stocked trout in spring and fall, bass and pickerel along brushy banks, and panfish and channel catfish. It spills into Sunset Lake, a popular bass-tournament lake in the same park.

When to fish

  • Spring: trout stocked before opening day and several more times in season, with good fishing into May.
  • October: the fall stocking of big 14- to 17-inch rainbows.
  • Winter into early spring: dedicated bass anglers fish it all winter.
  • September: bass, pickerel and big sunfish along the shoreline.

Where to fish

  • The dam: the best shore access.
  • Brushy banks, overhangs and laydowns: bass and pickerel.
  • Spatterdock and lily pad mats: the main cover in a lake that's only about 5 feet deep on average.

How to fish it

Downsize: small (1/8-ounce) spinnerbaits, small plugs and soft plastics worked along the bank take bass, pickerel and big sunfish.

Getting there

The unimproved ramp is off Mary Elmer Drive and suits car-top boats, kayaks and small bass boats; big rigs will find the turning space and parking tight. Only electric motors are allowed.

39°26.8′N 75°15.0′WLarger map

From the water

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