Our Garden State freshwater series for ’24 brings us to Bridgeton.
Clipping the second 16-inch, 2-year old rainbow to the stringer that included a 20-inch channel catfish, it was a quitting time call after an hour or so stop at Mary Elmer Lake during a road run that took me through a portion of Cumberland County that glorious autumn early afternoon. A tree stand was calling; it was also a hearty out loud “Thank You” to New Jersey’s Division of Fish & Wildlife for including the 20-something acre impoundment to its fall stocking roster.
A memory month back track along the same route, and it was a limited September shoreline probe with plastics – and downsized, as in 1/8-ounce spinnerbaits and plugs that brought a few bass, pickerel and buster sunfish splashing in bankside. Quick blacktop grind therapy.
Not to be confused with the 51-acre Elmer Lake in the adjacent Salem County, Mary Elmer Lake was formed in 1924 and is one of the older impoundments in the Garden State. Its size is a mix of estimates, ranging from 18 to 22 acres. Being pretty decent with visual estimations, yours truly puts it a split the difference 20 acres. Ensconced within the expansive 1,100-acre Bridgeton City Park complex, it’s part of the Cohansey River Drainage, being fed by Barret’s Run, then spilling via a short run into the 88-acre popular bass tournament venue Sunset Lake (also within the park confines), whose spillway feeds the Cohansey River in Bridgeton.
An alkaline reading of 7.8 makes it quite the fertile venue. It has a max depth of 8 feet with a mean reach of 5 feet. Vegetation includes spadderdock and sporadic mats of lily pads. Save for some sunken logs and brush, not much in the way of subsurface structure besides the weeds. However, overhangs, a few laydowns, and extending brushy banks make for targets of bass and pickerel. Forage includes golden shiners, frogs, sunfish, crappies, and small suckers and carp, and the occasional gizzard shad.
Power at Mary Elmer Lake is restricted to electric only, and while there is decent parking, figure this venue better suited to car toppers, ‘smaller bass boats, and ‘yaks. Riding in with an F-250 or bigger, with a gleaming 20-foot gelcoat sled, well, the turning radius will be bumper tight, predicated on earlier arrivals. Ditto parking opportunities. Bass Boata Non Grata. The unimproved ramp, located off Mary Elmer Drive, is better suited to the lighter, stealthier floating vehicles. Shoreline access is best via along the dam, with periodic open spots along the shoreline.
Mary Elmer is a year round player when it comes to angler proclivities. From the hardcore winter-into-early-spring bass warriors to the stocked trout soldiers to the panfish/catfish/pickerel clans, it’s a wide open impoundment of opportunity. The April opener of the trout season kicks it off. Stocked once pre-season, three times in season with a total of 1,740 rainbows that bite well into May, it’s also graced with another 210 buster 14- to 17-inch ‘bows during the second week of the October autumn stocking, which this year is scheduled for October 16-20. Tuesday is usually the day of the Mary Elmer dosage, but best check with njfishandwildlife.com for the full rundown.
Bass are boss here, with largemouth from 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 pounds common fare; more than a few to 3- to 4-pound fish are not rare fare either. On the radar of the ever observant Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries, Mary Elmer was stocked with largemouth fingerlings in 2020 and 2022 which bolster future bass potential. Also stocked are channel cats. This swim regurgitates kitties in the 3- to 10-pound class annually. Ultra-light tackle players include crappies to 1-plus pounds, yellow perch, and sunfish.
For the bass, it’s 3- to 5-inch Senkos, and Texas rigged 6- to 10-inch worms, along with Whopper Ploppers, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, and frogs atop the surface slop. Rat-L-Traps when the water is cold, as in November into mid-April. Those of sacrilege will swim a live shiner or sunnie. Fathead minnows, tiny plastics and miniature plugs for the panfish.
“And the Wind Cries Mary,” Elmer actually. It’s a Jimi thing.
