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Fishing Nelson: what the data says
40-acre lake near Hubbard County. The lake tops out around 15 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Walleye fishing at Nelson
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer fish stay in 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 15 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 14 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. 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 | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at Nelson
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 14 ft, rated prime for fall northern pike. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Nelson
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 14 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Nelson
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. 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 | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Bluegill fishing at Nelson
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 15 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Nelson
In spring, pumpkinseed run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in winter. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) covers the summer program.
| 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 | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 15 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 14 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Nelson?
Nelson is about 15 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 Nelson?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed on Nelson.
Where is the best fishing spot on Nelson?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 14 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 Nelson?
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
Twenty-One · Crappie · Kabekona · McCarty · Waboose · Mantrap (East Basin)
See how Nelson stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota
Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.