Lake Melissa is a reservoir in Minnesota, near Becker County.
Lake Melissa is a reservoir in Becker County, Minnesota. Lake Melissa covers about 1,851 acres, reaches a recorded 43 feet and holds about 31,776 acre-feet.
Lake Melissa has an old channel, incoming water and quiet coves, and small water-level changes can move fish from the bank to the first drop.
Fish reported from Lake Melissa include banded killifish, black bullhead, black crappie, blackchin shiner, blacknose shiner, bluegill, bluntnose minnow, bowfin, brook stickleback, brown bullhead, central mudminnow, cisco, fathead minnow, golden shiner, green sunfish, iowa darter, johnny darter, largemouth bass, least darter, logperch, mimic shiner, northern pike, northern redbelly dace, pumpkinseed, rock bass, spottail shiner, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and yellow perch.
For bass at Melissa, fish weeds, wood and shade with a spinnerbait, jig or Texas-rigged worm for largemouth.
For panfish at Melissa, use a small jig or minnow beside brush for crappie, and fish a worm, cricket or tiny jig near weeds for bluegill, pumpkinseed, and green sunfish, and keep a small jig, minnow or worm close to bottom for yellow perch.
For roaming fish at Melissa, jig a minnow or troll a crankbait along points and deeper edges for walleye.
For large predators at Melissa, cast a spoon, spinnerbait or swimbait beside weeds for northern pike.
For bottom fishing at Melissa, fish a worm or small piece of cut bait in quiet water for bullheads.
Other choices at Melissa include these plans: work a tough soft plastic or cut bait near weeds and wood for bowfin.
At Melissa, use a small jig, worm or tiny crankbait around rock and firm shorelines for rock bass.
For other cold-water fish at Melissa, use a tiny jig or small spoon at the depth where cisco are schooling.
Spring around Melissa is a good time to check warm coves and incoming water, and summer is a good time to fish shade, weeds and the first drop into deeper water. Fall around Melissa can bring fish back to windy points and banks, while winter calls for smaller baits fished slowly.
On a first trip to Melissa, check incoming water, one bend in the old channel and a point near deep water with a moving lure, then slow down with a jig or worm where you get a bite.
A medium spinning rod covers smaller lures at Melissa, while a heavier rod and stronger leader are better for northern pike.
At Melissa, pick one cove and the closest point or drop into deep water, then fish that small area well before making a long move.
Not every trip. A better place at Melissa is where a point, drop-off or group of baitfish gives the fish a reason to stop.
At Melissa, it shows that a lot of the water sits away from the bank and around the old channel or deep end.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.