Melissa Lake

How big is Melissa Lake?

How deep is Melissa Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Melissa Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Melissa Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Melissa Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Lake Melissa

Are there boat launches on Melissa Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Melissa Lake?

What are the fishing regulations for Melissa Lake?

There are specific fishing regulations Melissa Lake that you need to know. For complete fishing regulations visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. To report a violation call (800) 652-9093. Need a Minnesota fishing license?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Melissa Lake?

Lake Melissa's fish populations are similar to those of many central Minnesota lakes. Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Black Crappie are all typical angling targets here. Although none were caught during test netting, a small number of Muskellunge are known to be present in the lake. These are undoubtedly immigrants from upstream Detroit Lake, which is regularly stocked with muskies. The presence of a Tullibee (Cisco) population and a shift from Black to Yellow Bullheads indicate relatively good water quality in the lake. Zebra mussels were discovered in the lake in the summer of 2014 and people recreating on the lake are encouraged to clean, drain, and dry their equipment to prevent the spread of these mussels to other waters.

Walleye fry and fingerlings continue to be stocked in Lake Melissa. Test net catches of Walleye have remained relatively consistent within a range of 3.4 to 9.5 Walleyes per gill net. In 2014, the Walleye gill net catch rate was a new historic high of 9.5 per net. The Walleyes averaged about 1.1 pounds each and 14.5 inches long.

Sampled Northern Pike were relatively large at an average size of 23.2 inches and 3.1 pounds. Pike greater than 24 inches in length have been protected from harvest by an experimental regulation since 1996. In 2011, the regulation was slightly modified in order to allow the harvest of one pike over 36 inches. The regulation's goals were to improve the size structure of the population and to reduce the number of small pike. Eighteen years after the beginning of this regulation, these expectations are generally being met. The number of pike over 24 inches averaged 6.4 per test net in 2014. In six studies before the regulation started, the average number of pike over 24 inches was 1.8 per net and the number never exceeded 2.7 per net. Also, the average length of sampled pike in studies conducted before the regulation was 21.0 inches while the average length of pike sampled since 2000 is 24.0 inches. In addition, the portion of small pike in the catch since 2000 has averaged 53% while prior to the regulation, pike less than 24 inches averaged 77% of the sample.

Black Crappie abundance was up from previous surveys, with average length being 9 inches. Historic records show that Lake Melissa has the potential to produce large (over eight inches) Bluegills. Sunfish of that size have become extremely rare in this lake over the past couple of decades where they were once common. In 2014, just three percent of trap-net-sampled Bluegills were larger than eight inches in length. In contrast, over one-fourth of sampled Bluegills were longer than eight inches in 1968 and nearly one-tenth were over eight inches in 1982. As in many Minnesota lakes, it appears that Bluegills are harvested as soon as they reach sizes that are acceptable to anglers (usually about seven inches), preventing the continued growth of larger Bluegills. Restrictive harvest regulations are a potential solution to the small Bluegill problem and may be considered, but public input, acceptance, and cooperation would be important parts of any successful regulation.

What is the average air temp for Melissa Lake?

Are there any state parks near Melissa Lake?