Mellen Camp Lake Fishing in Jackson County, Michigan

• Overview

  Mellen Camp Lake is one of the Jackson County waters in Michigan. The surroundings are lake country bush. It covers about 12 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Start from Napoleon, 2.4 miles down the road. Grass Lake lies 4.3 miles off, Brooklyn another 5.8 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Mellen Camp Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Species logged across Jackson County include bluegill, largemouth bass and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Mellen Camp Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 22°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late March. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late March and starts locking again about mid December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. At Mellen Camp Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. The water borders Lefglen Nature Sanctuary, so reserve rules are likely to apply. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Little Wolf Lake, 0.6 miles away. Treat access at Mellen Camp Lake as something to verify.