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Fishing Nelson Reservoir: what the data says
70-acre reservoir near Arizona. The lake tops out around 24 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Nelson Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 24 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 11 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 6 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 5 to 24 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Crappie fishing at Nelson Reservoir
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 7 to 24 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 20 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 20 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 11 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Nelson Reservoir?
Nelson Reservoir is about 24 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 Reservoir?
Anglers target crappie, rainbow trout on Nelson Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Nelson Reservoir?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Nelson Reservoir?
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Becker Lake · Luna Lake · River Reservoir · Lee Valley Lake · Carnero Lake · Woodland Reservoir
See how Nelson Reservoir stacks up: best crappie lakes in Arizona · best rainbow trout lakes in Arizona
Browse all Arizona fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.