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Fishing Mary Elmer Lake: what the data says
17-acre lake near Bridgeton. The lake tops out around 6 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Mary Elmer Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 3 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 1 to 6 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Mary Elmer Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Chain Pickerel fishing at Mary Elmer Lake
In spring, chain pickerel run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 1 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Brown Bullhead fishing at Mary Elmer Lake
In spring, brown bullhead run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 6 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dusk & night | |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday |
Channel Catfish fishing at Mary Elmer Lake
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 2 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday |
Yellow Perch fishing at Mary Elmer Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Mary Elmer Lake also holds common carp (1 to 6 ft in summer), bluegill (2 to 6 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 6 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Mary Elmer Lake?
Mary Elmer Lake is about 6 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Mary Elmer Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, rainbow trout, yellow perch, common carp, chain pickerel, brown bullhead on Mary Elmer Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Mary Elmer Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Mary Elmer Lake?
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Shaws Mill Pond · Greenwich Lake · Grenloch Lake · Newton Lake · Hammonton Lake · Bargaintown Pond
See how Mary Elmer Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Jersey · best bluegill lakes in New Jersey · best channel catfish lakes in New Jersey · best rainbow trout lakes in New Jersey
Browse all New Jersey fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.