Nixon Lake

How big is Nixon Lake?

How deep is Nixon Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Nixon Lake?

What are the closest cities to Nixon Lake?

Are there boat launches on Nixon Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Nixon Lake?

Nixon Lake is a small 56-acre natural environmental lake located 4 miles south of the town of Clearwater in Wright County. The lake has a small watershed, good water quality, and a diverse aquatic plant community. It has a maximum depth of 67 feet and an average summer water clarity depth of 10 feet. The lake is mostly undeveloped and is surrounded by wetlands and an extensive cattail fringe along much of the shoreline. A public access is located on the north side of the lake. A standard lake survey was completed in 2021 to update fisheries data last collected in 2001.

Nixon Lake has high numbers of small pike although pike over 30 inches are present and can be counted on as a bonus. Northern Pike sampled ranged in length from 13 to 35 inches with an average length and weight of 21 inches and 2 pounds. Twenty percent of the pike caught were longer than 26 inches and 5% were longer than 30 inches. Anglers are encouraged to harvest small pike (<22 inches) and release the medium-sized pike (>26 inches) to help produce a larger size structure.

Largemouth Bass abundance is low and below average for Sauk Rapids Area lakes. Bass were sampled by daytime electrofishing on May 4, 2021. Only 12 bass were captured and ranged in length from 10 to 15 inches with an average length of 13 inches.

Panfish are present in low abundance. Crappie abundance has always been low and few Black Crappie were sampled again this year. Crappie sampled ranged in length from 6 to 10 inches and averaged 8 inches. Bluegill abundance has decreased significantly to below average numbers for the lake. Bluegill sampled ranged in length from 3 to 8 inches with an average length of 6 inches.

Yellow perch abundance has historically been low and this year was no different. Only three perch were caught and were 6 inches long.

Other species sampled included: Bowfin (Dogfish), Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Bullhead.

People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Fish harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of aquatic invasive species (AIS) can all adversely affect fish populations. AIS can be moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local DNR office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Sauk Rapids Area Fisheries office.

What is the average air temp for Nixon Lake?