Nest Lake fishing: Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass

Target species: Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Black Bullhead
Boat: 2 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Nest Lake (E) Public Water Access Site, 2 lanes.

The lake

Nest Lake covers 932 acres in Minnesota, across Kandiyohi County. It is a lake: 90.2% of it is 30 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 40 feet (12.2 m). Our records hold 19 species for this water.

7 target fish, led by Muskellunge

  • Muskellunge — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Smallmouth Bass — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
  • Channel Catfish — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
  • Black Bullhead — Feeding water: 70–80°F.

Also recorded here: Shorthead Redhorse, White Sucker, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Yellow Perch, Green Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Common Carp.

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 40 ft (12.2 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 90.2% of the water is 30 feet or shallower. We hold 47 depth contour lines for this water.

  • 0–2 ft: 16.7% of the water
  • 2–4 ft: 6.7% of the water
  • 4–6 ft: 7.1% of the water
  • 6–8 ft: 5.5% of the water
  • 8–10 ft: 5% of the water
  • 10–12 ft: 4.9% of the water
  • 12–14 ft: 4.8% of the water
  • 14–16 ft: 4.7% of the water
  • 16–18 ft: 3.9% of the water
  • 18–20 ft: 3.7% of the water
  • 20–22 ft: 4.3% of the water
  • 22–24 ft: 5.1% of the water
  • 24–26 ft: 4.6% of the water
  • 26–28 ft: 6% of the water
  • 28–30 ft: 7.2% of the water
  • 30–32 ft: 3.8% of the water
  • 32–34 ft: 2.9% of the water
  • 34–36 ft: 3.2% of the water

Water and conditions

Water clarity runs 4.9–13.1 feet on our readings, averaging 8.5 feet, from 44 readings. Our water temperature readings average 70°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 8.2. These readings span 2017–2025.

2 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 2 trailer ramps.

  • Nest Lake (E) Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.
  • Nest Lake (W) Public Water Access Site — 1 lane, restrooms. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 2 places in this list: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

What is hard here

Only 2 public ramps are on file, so the launch decides where you fish.

Where this data comes from

  • Minnesota DNR — Minnesota DNR: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Minnesota DNR — Minnesota DNR: reported depths: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
  • EPA NLA — EPA National Lakes Assessment: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map, 2007.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.