Merrials Pond

Merrials Pond is a lake in Emery County, Utah and covers about 0.2 acres, reaches about 5.3 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 0.5 acre-feet.

The small size of Merrials Pond makes quiet casts and short moves more useful than carrying a pile of tackle. With little deep water in Merrials Pond, weeds, wind, and water color can matter more than depth alone.

Fish and Baits

The fish mix here is not confirmed, so check fresh local information before choosing a target or keeping a catch; keep the lure near the depth that produced, then follow bait before changing areas.

Begin with one slow bottom presentation and one moving bait, then let bites show whether fish are holding close to cover or roaming open water; work a creek turn before a flat bank, then write down the productive depth.

How to Read the Water

Make one shallow pass and one deeper pass on the same shoreline; that shows whether fish are tight to cover or using the first break; check a protected pocket, then compare shallow and deeper water.

Season by Season

In spring, start with warming banks, creek mouths, and shallow cover; summer usually pushes the better bite toward the outside weed edge or a nearby drop; fall can bring bait back to windblown points, while winter calls for smaller moves and a slower pace; try firm bottom before soft silt, then use one moving lure and one slow bait.

A Simple Tackle Plan

A medium spinning rod, 8-pound line, a small box of jigs, a few crankbaits, and a simple bottom rig cover most situations; change depth or speed before changing every piece of tackle; check the coolest inflow, then give shaded water a separate pass.

Record the wind, water color, productive depth, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce; fish the first useful drop, then watch for food before choosing lure depth.