Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Nelson
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Nelson: what the data says
317-acre lake near Crow Wing County. The lake tops out around 12 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Yellow Perch fishing at Nelson
Spring yellow perch on Nelson hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 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. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Nelson
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 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. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Nelson
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 3 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 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. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Nelson
In spring, pumpkinseed run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 12 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring pumpkinseed. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Brown Bullhead fishing at Nelson
Start shallow in spring: brown bullhead sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 3 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for brown bullhead in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 10 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Nelson?
Nelson is about 12 ft 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.
What fish are in Nelson?
Anglers target northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Nelson.
Where is the best fishing spot 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Nelson?
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.
Nearby waters
Sullivan · Stark · Twin · Ross · Upper Dean · Rogers
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
Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.