Nelson Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota86 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Nelson Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 52 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Nelson Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 85.96 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 23, 1990 caught 16.00 northern pike per gill net at Nelson Lake. DNR survey details →
Nelson Lake is a 86-acre lake in Douglas County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 52 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Nelson Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11 ft of visibility
- Deep water52 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Nelson Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Nelson Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Nelson Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11 ft. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Nelson Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Nelson Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 81°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (81°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 18 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Nelson Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 23, 1990 caught 16.00 northern pike per gill net at Nelson Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Nelson Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1990-07-23 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1990-07-23 (Standard Survey)
36 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Bullhead | 22.88 | 0.47 lb | |
| Bluegill | 17.06 | 0.18 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 8.19 | 1.23 lb | |
| Common Carp | 5.50 | 1.39 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.94 | 0.18 lb | |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 3.12 | 0.2 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
From the 1990-07-23 survey
The 31 year gap in population assessments make analyzing gradual trends impossible. However some very noticeable changes in the fish populations have occurred. The Yellow Perch index was 103.5 fish/gillnet in 1959. No Yellow Perch were sampled in the 1990 assessment. No Bluegill were observed in trapnets in 1959. In…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Nelson Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — NelsonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
52 ft
Surface area
86 acres
Shoreline
1.6 mi
Littoral zone
66%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,355 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Nelson Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Nelson Lake
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Fishing Nelson Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.31 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.08 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Nelson Lake
Where is Nelson Lake?
- Nelson Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Nelson Lake?
- Nelson Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 85.96 acres.
Is Nelson Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Nelson Lake?
- Nelson Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 18 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Nelson Lake?
- Nelson Lake has a maximum depth of 52 feet. The lake covers 85.96 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Nelson Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 23, 1990 caught 16.00 northern pike per gill net at Nelson Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Nelson Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Nelson Lake?
- Public access to Nelson Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
18 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA18 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder