Melrose

Highlights
• Melrose Bay Art Gallery 103 State Road 26 (1.5 miles west from downtown) Friday 3p-7p, Saturday 10a-6p, Sunday 1p-5p, (352) 475.3866
• Bellamy Road Fine Arts, Literature and Film Gallery 5910 Hampton Street (downtown) Friday & Saturday noon-7p. Sun noon-5p, (352) 475.3435 or (352) 283.9700
• Fishing, boating, skiing on Lake Santa Fe and other lakes
• Paint the Town Green art festival (contact Bellamy Road Gallery for details)
• Blue Water Bay gourmet restaurant, 319 State Road 26 (downtown) (352) 475.1928
• Fishing at Lake Santa Fe

Two galleries form the artistic backbone of Melrose. The Melrose Bay Art Gallery is a co-op gallery showcasing some of North Central Florida’s best artists and craftspersons. Bellamy Road Fine Arts, Literature and Film Gallery features a broad array of quality used books along with artwork, a wi-fi lounge with specialty coffees, literary events, lectures, musical performances, and classic and experimental films.  

Melrose hosts the annual Paint the Town Green event in March. Over 60 artists create paintings, photos, videos and sculpture based on their experience in Melrose and its surroundings, with a portion of sales proceeds benefiting the Putnam County Environmental Council.

The Blue Water Bay restaurant is a Wine Spectator™ magazine "Award of Excellence" recipient. The wine list features over 600 selections from around the world, with a focus on Australian wines and California Cabernets. The menu features dishes made with home grown herbs from the Herb Garden, a local wholesale nursery specializing in ornamental, culinary and medicinal herbs. The Herb garden hosts an annual fall open house every October at the nursery just west of town.

Lake Santa Fe has been designated by Florida as an “Outstanding Florida Water” which means it is “worthy of special protection because of its natural attributes." Two to four pound largemouth bass are common, with six to eight pounders possible.

Lake Santa Fe is two miles wide east-to-west, and three miles long north-to-south. It is a spring-fed lake offering excellent fishing for black crappie, bluegill and redear. Directly north is Little Lake Santa Fe, which is round and about one mile across. The two lakes are connected by a short waterway called “the pass.” Shad school at the pass, which makes for good fishing for largemouth and stocked sunshine bass.

Though many homes surround the lake, fish habitat is outstanding with many areas of cypress and healthy maidencane grass beds. Fishing is best early and late in the day or at night, and it's better on weekdays when ski boat traffic is light.

Lake Santa Fe and the adjoining Santa Fe Swamp are considered the headwaters of the Santa Fe River, the largest tributary of the mighty Suwannee River.

Public boat access 18 miles east from Gainesville at Santa Fe Lake Park in Melrose, Florida.  Open 24 hours. Admission: free
Chiappini’s Bait & Tackle 326 State Rd. 26, Melrose Florida (map). Phone 352.475.9496. Open 7a-7p daily.

Melrose is 18 miles east from Gainesville.