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Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
317-acre lake near Crow Wing County. The lake tops out around 12 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Drawn out, this is 317 acres of water rimmed by 4 miles of bank. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.6) — enough points and pockets to pattern. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. The basin spans about 1.4 mi end to end and 0.6 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Crow Wing County. The nearest mapped water is Sullivan, 1 mi to the east.
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Through summer count on 4 to 12 ft; the winter hold is 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 12 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 12 ft before dropping to 4 to 12 ft for winter. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Early season pumpkinseed use the shallows, holding in 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 10 ft game here, winter a 4 to 12 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, brown bullhead run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 12 ft before dropping to 4 to 12 ft for winter. Winter brown bullhead concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 10 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Nelson; the deepest is Deep basin at about 10 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Nelson specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Nelson is about 12 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Nelson.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Nelson is regulated by the Minnesota DNR. Check the official Minnesota regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Sullivan 1 mi · Stark 2 mi · Upper Dean 3 mi · Twin 3 mi · Ross 3 mi · Bass 4 mi · Rogers 4 mi · Blind 5 mi · Eastham 5 mi · Mud 5 mi · Brown 5 mi · Perry 6 mi
See how Nelson stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota · best pumpkinseed lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Crow Wing County fishing maps (202 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.