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Fishing Jay Nelson Lake: what the data says
1,810-acre lake near North Dakota. North Dakota Game & Fish survey water. The lake tops out around 30 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Walleye fishing at Jay Nelson Lake
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 9 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Jay Nelson Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 11 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 30 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 24 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 11 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 7 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Jay Nelson Lake?
Jay Nelson Lake is about 30 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Jay Nelson Lake?
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch on Jay Nelson Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Jay Nelson Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Jay Nelson Lake?
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Bader Lake · Foot Lake · Reule Lake · Stink Lake · South Stink Lake · Crystal Springs
See how Jay Nelson Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in North Dakota · best yellow perch lakes in North Dakota
Browse all North Dakota fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.