# Campbell Lakes Preserve



## regmiller (Aug 23, 2005)

Hello everyone, I need some help. I am a woman who normally fishes by myself. I want to try Campbell Lakes Preserve for bluegill. I see they have 4 lakes. Where is the best place to fish for bank fishing bluegill? Also, how deep are these pits? Also is it a public place, safe for a woman like Miami Whitewater Forest? Thanks in advance for helping me guys. I've read that the bluegills are somewhat big (bigger than Miami Whitewater). Also, looking at their stocking schedule they have stocked with yellow perch. Does anyone know how to fish for them? Also besides kayak or canoe, can you have a regular jon boat like at the county parks and just row and be allowed on the lakes or are they too big? I know I am asking a lot of questions, but I have no clue. The only lake I know anything about is Lake Isabella. I'm normally there sitting in a boat with a sombrero and I don't ever need help catching fish there. But I do want to catch big bluegill and some crappie. Thanks for helping me guys. To show my gratitude if anyone wants to know anything about Isabella and where they are biting right now, I'll let you know.


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## Spence88 (Feb 23, 2006)

The lakes are nice, but there isn't very much accessible area from the banks. Kayak, canoe or float tube would be my choice if I was going to go again. Some spots look absolutely great for bass. I think you have to pay like $2-3 per person per day to fish it - just a simple self-register type. I don't know if you could get a small jon boat out. Might want to call county parks before you go through the trouble. It seems to be well cared for and I've never heard any trouble coming out of there. Good luck.


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## autogyroenthusiast (Oct 25, 2007)

Any car top boat is fine if I recall. No motors, no trailers. First lake on the right is the one you will want to fish if you use a jon boat. It's a good walk to the other lakes. Haven't fished it enough to form an opinion but I believe there are plenty of bass, bluegill, and crappie.


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## TMCDB6 (Mar 13, 2009)

Last time I went we paid 2.00 per person. I am glad to say they check very regularly. On several occasions i've been checked multiple times in the same day. As for bank access we haven't had any problems finding a spot to fish comfortably and by comfortably I mean no one within 300 yards of us. I am not a big fan of fishing with a stranger in my back pocket that could basically tell me what kind of deodarant I am wearing! 

Campbell has some really nice bass and the water is usually crystal clear. Hope this helps. Good luck!


DB


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## imalt (Apr 17, 2008)

i have had my best bass luck at the lake left of the parking lot as you go in. also i was in my yak. there is a lake behind the softball fields that isnt too bad you have to hop a fence or two. the front lake i have never done very good in. i dont think they stock as much as they say there.


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## TeamPlaker (Jul 5, 2006)

imalt said:


> i have had my best bass luck at the lake left of the parking lot as you go in.


That lake is the South Lake. Nice bank fishing in the spring, but by mid-summer the weeds are a pain. Not sure which is the best bluegill lake, but if you're looking for Perch, they're in the Northeast Lake (which is directly to the right as you pull in). Couldn't tell you how to fish for them, never target any of them. Keep in mind that HCPD's idea of "stocking" those lakes is way different than the ODNR.
The depths vary in each of the lakes, but some of them get 50+. They used to have maps on their site at www.greatparks.org. Not sure if they do any more... either way, the place you pay has a large map that shows you the depths and the names of the lakes.


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## regmiller (Aug 23, 2005)

Thanks for answering guys. I am going to take a ride and see what is going on. It's pretty hot now, might wait a few weeks.


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## Mrsnspectr (May 21, 2008)

Hey Reg - glad to see another lady on here - I don't go out much by myself for the same reasons, but am lucky the dau-in-law loves to fish as much as I do. The guys on here are great, though, for answering (probably sometimes dumb) questions for me.

I read somewhere that perch love flashy things, so I picked up these snelled hooks that have a fluorescent spinner and beads when I saw them at Wal-mart, but we fish them under a bobber. Not sure if it is the flash or luck, but we seem to catch quite a few perch. And they seem to like wax worms a lot more than red worms or pieces of crawler. Bad thing is, they are fantastic little bait stealers, so take _lots_ of wax worms 

And I may take you up on the offer about the Isabella info in the near future. We are going to try and get down there for some evening/night fishing one of these days soon.


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