Nest Lake

How big is Nest Lake?

How deep is Nest Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Nest Lake?

What are the closest cities to Nest Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Nest Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Nest Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Nest Lake

Are there boat launches on Nest Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Nest Lake?

What are the fishing regulations for Nest Lake?

There are specific fishing regulations Nest Lake that you need to know. For complete fishing regulations visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. To report a violation call (800) 652-9093. Need a Minnesota fishing license?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Nest Lake?

A standard survey was conducted on Nest Lake during August of 2023. 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 wider range of fish species during the summer months using standard methodology (i.e. standard time of year, set sampling stations, taking water clarity readings and oxygen/temperature profiles, etc.) and gears (i.e. lake survey gillnets, trapnets and possibly spring electrofishing for Largemouth Bass). A near shore fish survey was also conducted in mid-July. A fall night electrofishing survey was conducted for young of year "YOY" (fingerling sized) Walleye on Nest Lake during late September.

Nest is a large, productive, and moderately deep lake located in Kandiyohi County. The maximum depth is 40 feet. Zebra Mussels were documented in Nest and connected George Lake during 2017. Public access sites include one state access along the east portion and one along the west portion of the lake. Development (192 homes, several resorts and recreational vehicle sites, one motel, and Sanderson Girl Scout Camp; 2008 survey) has occurred along the entire shoreline area except for the northwest portion of the lake. Late-summer dissolved oxygen levels were below 4.0 ppm at depths greater than 20.5 feet. Water clarity was moderate (secchi=7.67 feet) on August 15, 2023. Non-point nutrient input sources into Nest include residential homes, agricultural row crops, road runoff, and city of New London. There are approximately 20 inlets/tiles that enter Nest Lake. Agricultural row crop drainage into the lake occurs via several inlets/tiles from various locations throughout the lake. The major inlet is the Middle Fork Crow River, which enters along the north shore of Nest Lake. The Middle Fork Crow Reservoir and New London Dam (replaced in 2010) are located about 4 miles upstream of Nest Lake. The New London State Fish Hatchery is located about 1 mile downstream the New London Dam. The Nest Lake outlet drains into Green Lake via the Old Mill Inn Dam. Water levels were below normal during the 2023 survey. Emergent vegetation (bulrush, burreeds, cattails, wild rice) is present in the southwest, west and north portions of the lake. White and yellow waterlilies occur frequently in the east bay areas. Submergent vegetation densities (i.e. northern milfoil, coontail, water moss, bladderwort, water celery, various pondweed species, and filamentous algae) are usually moderate to abundant within the lake. Curly-leaf pondweed can become a nuisance for boating and swimming during most years. Various free-floating duckweeds (star, lesser, water-meal) species are can also be abundant. Submergent vegetation was found down to 14 feet deep in Nest. Filamentous and blue-green algae blooms can occur during the late summer months due in part due to excess phosphorus released during the annual late summer die off of curly-leaf pondweed. Shoreline substrates are varied with boulder, gravel, sand, rubble, and silt. Boulder and rubble are found near the islands and south shore point areas. Soft substrates (silt, muck, and detritus) are most prevalent in the east bays and north inlet bay area.

A targeted survey was conducted on Nest in mid-May of 2021 as part of the ongoing statewide Quality Sunfish Initiative. Twelve standard lake survey trapnets were set at historical stations to target Bluegill and Black Crappie. Special regulations for several area lakes (Nest, Long (Hawick, Minnesota), Diamond, George and Florida) currently entail reduced bag limits (i.e., 5 or 10 fish) for Sunfish or Crappie. The Nest Lake special regulation for Sunfish is a daily bag limit of 10 fish.

Smallmouth Bass numbers were abundant in 2023 (1.83 fish/gillnet) compared to similar lakes. The Smallmouth Bass historical average catch rate is 0.75 fish/gillnet for Nest Lake. The 2023 Smallmouth Bass average size was large (2.51 pounds and 16.37 inches) from gillnets. The Smallmouth Bass historical average weight is 1.81 pounds from gillnets. The 2023 catch rate of preferred size (14.0 inches and larger) Smallmouth Bass was high (1.33 fish/gillnet). The largest Smallmouth Bass captured was 18.5 inches. Smallmouth Bass growth rates were below average. Three-year classes (2020, 2017 and 2014) each comprised 25% of the 2023 total Smallmouth Bass catch.

Black Crappie numbers were low in 2023 (0.17 fish/gillnet) compared to similar lakes. The Black Crappie gillnet historical average catch rate was 6.28 fish/gillnet. Black Crappie abundance in the 2021 mid-May targeted survey was low (2.67 fish/trapnet, 10.32 inches average length). The 2023 Black Crappie average sizes were good from gillnets (0.70 pounds, 10.75 inches) and trapnets (0.55 pounds, 9.23 inches). The 2023 catch rate of quality size (8.0 inches and larger) Black Crappie was low (0.17 fish/gillnet). Black Crappie growth rates were generally above average. The 2019 year class comprised 33% of the 2023 total Black Crappie catch.

Northern Pike numbers were high in 2023 (8.83 fish/gillnet) compared to similar lakes and the historical average (5.20 fish/gillnet). The 2023 Northern Pike average size was small and (2.28 pounds and 21.41 inches) from gillnets. The Northern Pike historical average weight is 2.91 pounds from gillnets. The 2023 catch rate of preferred size (28.00 inches and larger) was low (0.50 fish/gillnet). The largest Northern Pike captured was 31.6 inches in 2023. Northern Pike possession limit regulations for Nest Lake in the North-central Zone are as follows: 10 (Not more than 2 over 26". All from 22-26" must be immediately released.) by angling; 10 (only 1 Northern Pike between 22-26" and 1 over 26"; or 2 over 26") by dark house spearing.

Yellow Perch numbers were low in 2023 (1.33 fish/gillnet). The Yellow Perch historical average catch rate is 14.64 fish/gillnet. The 2023 Yellow Perch average length (6.29 inches) from gillnets was slightly above the historical average (6.03 inches).

Walleye numbers were moderate in 2023 (3.33 fish/gillnet) compared to similar lakes, but below the historical average (6.58 fish/gillnet) for Nest Lake. The 2023 Walleye average size was moderate (1.75 pounds and 15.93 inches) from gillnets. The Walleye historical average weight is 1.67 pounds from gillnets. The 2023 catch rate of quality size (15.0 inches and larger) Walleye (2.00 fish/gillnet) was below the Nest historical average (3.02 fish/gillnet). The 2023 catch rate of preferred size (20.0 inches and larger) Walleye (0.67 fish/gillnet) was also below the Nest historical average (1.01 fish/gillnet). The largest Walleye captured was 24.6 inches in 2023. Walleye growth rates were below average. The 2022 Walleye year class (fry stocked year) comprised 32% of the 2023 total Walleye catch.

The Walleye population is due to a combination of natural reproduction and Walleye stocking (fry, fingerlings and adults) in Nest Lake. Nest Lake also occasionally receives low numbers of Walleye fry via the Middle Fork of the Crow River during clean-up operations of the Walleye hatching program at the New London State Fish Hatchery. There were low numbers of young of year "YOY" Walleye captured (due to natural reproduction or fry stocking) in 2023 (5.50 YOY/hour, 7.10 inches average length). Moderate YOY Walleye numbers due to natural reproduction were captured in 2022 (13.85 YOY/hour, 7.27 inches average length). Nest Lake was recently stocked in 2018 (534,227 fry; 5,690 yearlings, 1,654 pounds; 755 fingerlings, 40 pounds; 68 adults, 165 pounds), 2021 (854,819 fry; 3,115 fingerlings, 635 pounds), 2022 (38,131 fry), 2023 (1,078,266 fry; 5,955 fingerlings, 502 pounds).

Bluegill numbers were low in 2023 (15.00 fish/trapnet) compared to similar lakes. The Bluegill historical catch rate is 39.10 fish/trapnet. Bluegill abundance in the 2021 mid-May targeted survey was moderate (25.42 fish/trapnet, 6.42 inches average length). The 2023 Bluegill average size was small (0.09 pounds and 4.71 inches) from trapnets. The Bluegill historical average weight is 0.15 pounds from trapnets. The 2023 catch rate of quality size (6.0 inches and larger) bluegill was low (2.08 fish/trapnet). The largest Bluegill captured was 8.5 inches in 2023. Bluegill growth rates were average for younger fish, but above average for ages 6-8. The 2021 year class comprised 66% of the 2023 total bluegill trapnet catch.

Black Bullhead numbers were low in 2023 (0.67 fish/gillnet). The 2023 Black Bullhead average size was large (1.09 pounds and 12.13 inches). Yellow Bullhead numbers were abundant in 2023 (14.67 fish/gillnet). The 2023 Yellow Bullhead average size was also large (0.60 pounds and 10.15 inches).

Other fish species of special interest captured in 2023 included low numbers of White Sucker (1.17 fish/gillnet) and Largemouth Bass (0.67 fish/gillnet). Moderate numbers of Largemouth Bass have been captured in Nest during previous spring pre-spawn spring electrofishing surveys. A spring electrofishing was not conducted for Largemouth Bass in 2023. Rock Bass were also sampled in low numbers in 2023 (0.17 fish/gillnet).

Although Muskellunge have not been captured in DNR summer surveys, local anglers have reported catching or seeing large Muskellunge below the New London Dam, in Nest Lake and Green Lake. A Muskellunge yearling (1.50 fish/hour, 19.0 inches) was captured in the 2018 fall electrofishing survey. Muskellunge fingerling culture has occurred in shallow ponds at the New London State Fish Hatchery since the 1980's, which drains into the Middle Fork of the Crow River upstream of Nest Lake. Muskellunge fingerlings had escaped into the Middle Fork of Crow River upstream of Nest on two occasions approximately 20 years ago from the New London Hatchery Ponds due to a pond structure failure one year and criminal damage to outlet screens another year.

A Fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity "FIBI" assessment was performed on Nest Lake in July 2023. FIBI surveys are comprised of shoreline seining and backpack electrofishing to sampling fish in the near shore habitat around the lake. Twenty-two fish species were captured in the near shore sampling gears. The nearshore data were combined with trapnet and gillnet data from a standard survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. Nest Lake's 2023 IBI score was 52, which was higher than the impairment threshold of 45 for tool 2 lakes. Moderate species numbers of intolerant habitat disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Logperch, Pugnose Shiner, Smallmouth Bass and Iowa Darter) were captured in Nest Lake. Tolerant fish species captured included Fathead Minnow and Green Sunfish.

The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g. Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g. Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the North Fork Crow River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Current fish management activities on Nest Lake include monitoring the fish population on a periodic basis, protecting native aquatic vegetation through the permit process, preventing and educating about the spread of invasive species, participating in local watershed initiatives, and stocking various fish species as warranted. A fall electrofishing survey for YOY Walleye is scheduled for 2024. A standard survey of all fish species is scheduled during the 2026 summer for Nest Lake.

What is the average air temp for Nest Lake?

Are there any state parks near Nest Lake?