Nelson Lake in Cherry County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Nelson Lake lies within the bounds of Cherry County, Nebraska. What surrounds it is rolling bush. With some 44 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 1.0 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. You are 20 miles from Martin. Rosebud is 33 miles and Gordon 42 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Nelson Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Cherry County include white sucker, common carp, green sunfish and rock bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Nelson Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 73°F in July and bottoms out near 22°F in January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Winter locks it down, and late March brings it back. Climate figures give an open season running late March to early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It holds true on Nelson Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Winslow Lake is 1.4 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Nelson Lake for certain.