Nest Lake
Kandiyohi County, Minnesota969 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Nest Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
Nest Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 969.17 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2024 caught 0.58 walleye per trap net at Nest Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–11 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Nest Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 40 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Nest Lake is a 969-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 40 feet (15-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 19 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 24 other monitored lakes in Kandiyohi County, Nest Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Nest Lake covers about 970 acres in Kandiyohi County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Nest Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Nest Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing19 species recorded
- Deep water40 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Nest Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Nest 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 Nest Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Nest Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.5 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 51 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Nest Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Nest Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 44 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Nest Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2024 caught 0.58 walleye per trap net at Nest Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–11 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Nest 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
23 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-14 (Targeted Survey).
23 surveys on file · most recent 2025-10-14 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 22.12 | 2–10 in 2024-06-24 | 0.16 lb |
| Walleye | 13.35 | 7–11 in 2025-10-14 | 1.52 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.77 | 10–13 in 2023-08-21 | 1 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 10.80 | 5 in 2024-06-24 | 0.1 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 7.78 | 4–8 in 2024-06-24 | 0.09 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.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Walleye
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
From the 2025-10-14 survey
A targeted fall night electrofishing survey was conducted for young of year "YOY" (fingerling sized) Walleye on Nest Lake during October 9, 2025. A targeted survey is generally used for sampling a specific kind of fish or time of year (i.e., spawning season, fall season, etc.) unlike a standard survey which samples a…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Nest Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — NestFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — NestFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — NestPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
40 ft
Average depth
15 ft
Surface area
969 acres
Shoreline
10.2 mi
Littoral zone
54%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
128 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,158 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Nest Lake (East)Public
- Nest Lake (West)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Nest Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Nest Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Nest Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Nest Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.79 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.49 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Nest Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Nest Lake (completed 1964), built primarily for recreation on the Crow River Middle Fork; gravity-type dam, 12 ft tall and 34 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,008 ac
- Normal storage
- 11,010 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 13,212 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 123 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- County of Kandiyohi Private Dam Owner
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00061 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Nest Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN34-0154-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Kandiyohi County
Frequently asked questions about Nest Lake
Where is Nest Lake?
- Nest Lake is a lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Nest Lake?
- Nest Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 969.17 acres.
Is Nest Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Nest Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Nest Lake?
- Nest Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 44 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Nest Lake?
- Nest Lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet and an average depth of 15 feet. The lake covers 969.17 acres.
What fish are in Nest Lake?
- Fish species found in Nest Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Nest Lake is located in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Nest Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2024 caught 0.58 walleye per trap net at Nest Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–11 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Nest 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.
Are there boat ramps on Nest Lake?
- Nest Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Nest Lake (East), Nest Lake (West). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Nest Lake?
- Nest Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.
Explore Nest Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Kandiyohi County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Nest Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Nest Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
85 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA85 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory