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Can’t believe I almost missed the jewel that is Bells Lake

4 min read

We who are elderly have a hard time keeping the visiting great grandchildren busy as we are limited in what we can and cannot do.

Last weekend, we found the perfect spot to entertain the kids and the adults. This spot has been there since 1951 and yet I have never fished there. It’s one of those spots I always hear about and pass by but have never tried. Many times, I have passed this spot while out in Greene County groundhog hunting.

The great grandchildren and the grandkids loaded into their van. Teagan, Max and the new baby, so we had to find a good spot that is easy to fish. I am no spring chicken, so I have restrictions, too. My daughter packed up a good picnic and off we went.

We went out to 260 Bells Lake Road in Prosperity. I have never fished much in paid lakes, so I was skeptical to say the least. I was to be very pleasantly surprised.

Bells Lake is off Route 18, just south of Prosperity. It is two lakes, an upper and lower. This lake has been the same for such a long time I have to wonder why I waited so long to explore it. The sign on Route 18 claims that it has trout, catfish, carp and bluegill. This certainly is true, and they are healthy and plentiful.

We caught crappie, bluegill, a rainbow trout and quite a few largemouth bass. The surroundings are just beautiful. It was clean and easy to fish with plenty of great spots. It helps that there is a maintained road all the way around the lake. There were shade trees and picnic tables that are covered. I have a hard time walking these days, so my daughter put the Jeep right up to the lake. We had a playpen and the baby enjoyed watching the ducks and geese from a nice shady spot.

In 1951, Mr. Frank Bell decided to put in the first lake and stock it on his family home. Within a year, he had opened it up to the public for fishing. Mrs. Donna Bell Richmond, the current owner, says it was her father’s great idea and it hasn’t changed much over the years. With the help of her son, Larry, they now run the public fishing and camping spot. It is inexpensive, just 5$ a person, to fish or camp. They also do birthday parties, weddings and other memorials at the lake. They have great photos on Facebook and are easy to find on the Internet under Bells Lake. We saw a few campers that day and they had a beautiful spot.

The oldest great granddaughter, Teagan, caught a lot of fish all by herself and Max caught his first fish there. The grandkids, Jen and her husband Nick, caught fish and enjoyed being out doing something fun for everyone. I just enjoyed watching everyone catch fish. I sat by the lake and just enjoyed the day.

It makes me wonder what else I have missed in the area. I honestly didn’t feel like I was at a pay lake as the lake is big and the tables and spots are very spread out. This family-owned-and-operated business gets a good grade in my book. We are planning a trip back before the weather gets too cold.

When we were almost all packed, Max, who had been running around all over the place and playing but not fishing, decided to fish with my daughter. His mom had been trying to get him to fish with someone all afternoon. My daughter is the patient one and she hooked a crappie and put the pole in Max’s hands. He reeled that first fish in with wonder and delight. His mom was excited for him, and he jumped up and down as he proudly told us how he caught a Big One. After that, he was hooked. He wanted to eat his fish, of course, and he wanted to catch more fish. So, we packed him up last. The family now has another fisherman.

All in all, a successful trip.

Don’t forget that Antlerless Licenses go on sale over the counter Monday. They will be available at the courthouse in the Treasurer’s Office.

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