Fishing at Nelson Lake, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Within Otter Tail County, Minnesota, you have Nelson Lake. Land around it is pine and birch. The water covers some 85 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. A shoreline of some 1.9 miles keeps the choices simple. Fergus Falls is the closest town at 7.7 miles. Fargo sits 57 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Nelson Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Otter Tail County include largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye and bluegill. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Work Nelson Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 70°F for July and 7°F for January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. At Nelson Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Little Lake is 1.2 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Nelson Lake.