Nelson Lake Fishing in Lincoln County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  This water sits in Lincoln County, Wisconsin. The surface lies 1,506 feet up. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. For a base, Merrill sits 7.4 miles out. Green Bay sits 94 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple. Trees come down to the water on one side more than the other.

• Where to Fish on Nelson Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Lincoln County: brown trout, rainbow trout and pumpkinseed. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Take Nelson Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 67°F and January near 10°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Nelson Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. 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. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Ackerman Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Nelson Lake should be assumed from this page alone.