Nest

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 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). Fall electrofishing was conducted at six stations for a total of 120 minutes. The water temperature was 60 F. during the 2025 fall night electrofishing survey. Submergent vegetation densities were generally moderate at the different stations in 2025. Water clarity was moderate. We observed abundant numbers of Sunfish, Yellow Bullhead, Yellow Perch, Shiner species and Brook Silversides in the 2025 fall night electrofishing survey. We also saw moderate numbers of Largemouth Bass, Northern Redhorse, White Sucker, Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike. The Walleye population is due to a combination of natural reproduction and Walleye stockings (fry, fingerlings and adults) for Nest Lake based on surveys and oxytetracycline "OTC" marking. Nest Lake occasionally receives Walleye fry via scheduled stocking or from the Middle Fork of Crow River during clean-up operations of the Walleye hatching program at the New London State Fish Hatchery. Nest Lake was stocked with Walleye in 2015 (1,541,987 fry), 2017 (1,821 fry), 2018 (534,227 fry; 755 fingerlings, 40 pounds; 5,690 yearlings, 1,654 pounds; 68 adults, 165 pounds), 2021 (635,492 fry; 3,115 fingerlings, 635 pounds), 2022 (38,131 fry), 2023 (1,078,266 fry; 5,955 fingerlings, 502 pounds), 2024 (450,864 fry) and 2025 (797,706 fry; 9,197 fingerlings, 1,270 pounds). Walleye stocked into Nest were from the Pike River strain prior to 2014 and the local Spicer strain from 2014-2025. Walleye fry were marked with OTC in 2015. No Walleye were stocked into Nest during 2016, 2019 or 2020. Low YOY Walleye numbers were recently captured in 2025 (2.50 YOY/hour, 7.86 inches), 2024 (2.00 YOY/hour, 6.33 inches) and 2023 (5.50 YOY/hour, 7.10 inches) fall night electrofishing surveys. Moderate YOY Walleye numbers were captured in 2022 (13.85 YOY/hour, 7.27 inches). Yearling Walleye numbers were also low in the 2025 (0.50 fish/hour, 11.73 inches), 2024 (0.50 fish/hour), 2022 (0.92 fish/hour, 10.83 inches) and 2021 (0.50 fish/hour, 10.75 inches) fall night electrofishing surveys. Two-year-old fish (2019 year class) were abundant (13.5 fish/hour, 12.40 inches) in the 2021 fall night electrofishing survey. A fall night electrofishing survey was not conducted during 2020 in Nest. Moderate YOY Walleye numbers (36.00 YOY/hour, 7.10 inches) due to natural reproduction were captured in the 2019 fall night electrofishing survey. There were low YOY Walleye numbers captured (due to natural reproduction or fry stocking) in 2018 (4.50 YOY/hour, 7.17 inches). Low YOY Walleye numbers (3.00 YOY/hour, 5.79 inches) were captured in the 2017 fall night electrofishing survey. Moderate YOY Walleye numbers (40.50 YOY/hour, 7.33 inches) were captured in the 2016 fall night electrofishing survey. All the YOY Walleye captured in 2016 were from natural reproduction. Yearling walleye numbers were low in the 2016 (6.00 fish/hour, 9.93 inches), 2017 (3.00 fish/hour, 10.24 inches), 2018 (1.50 fish/hour, 11.65 inches) and 2019 (3.00 fish/hour, 10.55 inches) fall night electrofishing surveys. Moderate YOY numbers were captured in the 2015 fall (42.00 YOY/hour, 6.38 inches), but spring stocked OTC marked fry accounted for 71% of the fall YOY Walleye captured. There were also abundant yearling Walleye numbers (24.00 fish/hour, 8.87 inches) captured in 2015. This corresponds to abundant YOY Walleye numbers (due to natural reproduction or fry stocking) captured in the 2014 fall night electrofishing survey (52.50 YOY/hour, 5.71 inches). Walleye numbers were low in the previous 2023 summer survey (3.33 fish/gillnet) compared to 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 2022 Walleye year class (fry stocked year) comprised 32% of the 2023 total Walleye summer survey catch. The Nest Lake fishery will be surveyed annually in the fall for YOY Walleye due to natural reproduction/fry stocking, May of 2026 by trapnets for Bluegill, and August of 2026 by gillnets for all fish species.

A targeted fall night electrofishing survey was conducted for young of year "YOY" (fingerling sized) Walleye on Nest Lake during October 3, 2024. 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). Fall electrofishing was conducted at six stations for a total of 120 minutes. The water temperature was 64 F. during the 2024 fall electrofishing survey. Submergent vegetation densities were generally abundant at the different stations in 2022. Water clarity was moderate. We observed abundant numbers of Bluegill, Yellow Bullhead, Shiner species and Brook Silversides in the 2024 fall electrofishing survey. We also saw moderate numbers of Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Yellow Perch, White Sucker, Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike. The Walleye population is due to a combination of natural reproduction and Walleye stockings (fry, fingerlings and adults) for Nest Lake based on surveys and oxytetracycline "OTC" marking analysis. Nest Lake occasionally receives Walleye fry via scheduled stocking or from the Middle Fork of Crow River during clean-up operations of the Walleye hatching program at the New London State Fish Hatchery. Nest Lake was stocked with Walleye in 2015 (1,541,987 fry), 2017 (1,821 fry), 2018 (534,227 fry; 755 fingerlings, 40 pounds; 5,690 yearlings, 1,654 pounds; 68 adults, 165 pounds), 2021 (635,492 fry; 3,115 fingerlings, 635 pounds), 2022 (38,131 fry), 2023 (1,078,266 fry; 5,955 fingerlings, 502 pounds) and 2024 (450,864 fry; 9,197 fingerlings, 1,270 pounds). Walleye stocked into Nest were from the Pike River strain prior to 2014 and the local Spicer strain during 2014-2024. Walleye fry were marked with OTC in 2015. No Walleye were stocked into Nest during 2016, 2019 or 2020. Low YOY Walleye numbers were recently captured in 2024 (2.00 YOY/hour, 6.33 inches) and 2023 (5.50 YOY/hour, 7.10 inches) fall night electrofishing surveys. Moderate YOY Walleye numbers were captured in 2022 (13.85 YOY/hour, 7.27 inches). Yearling Walleye numbers were also low in the 2024 (0.50 fish/hour), 2022 (0.92 fish/hour, 10.83 inches) and 2021 (0.50 fish/hour, 10.75 inches) fall night electrofishing surveys. Two year old fish (2019 year class) were abundant (13.5 fish/hour, 12.40 inches) in the 2021 fall night electrofishing survey. A fall night electrofishing survey was not conducted during 2020 in Nest. Moderate YOY Walleye numbers (36.00 YOY/hour, 7.10 inches) due to natural reproduction were captured in the 2019 fall night electrofishing survey. There were low YOY Walleye numbers captured (due to natural reproduction or fry stocking) in 2018 (4.50 YOY/hour, 7.17 inches). Low YOY Walleye numbers (3.00 YOY/hour, 5.79 inches) were captured in the 2017 fall night electrofishing survey. Moderate YOY Walleye numbers (40.50 YOY/hour, 7.33 inches) were captured in the 2016 fall night electrofishing survey. All of the YOY Walleye captured were from natural reproduction in 2016. Yearling walleye numbers were low in the 2016 (6.00 fish/hour, 9.93 inches), 2017 (3.00 fish/hour, 10.24 inches), 2018 (1.50 fish/hour, 11.65 inches) and 2019 (3.00 fish/hour, 10.55 inches) fall night electrofishing surveys. Moderate YOY numbers were captured in the 2015 fall (42.00 YOY/hour, 6.38 inches), but spring stocked OTC marked fry accounted for 71% of the fall YOY Walleye captured. There were also abundant yearling Walleye numbers (24.00 fish/hour, 8.87 inches) captured in 2015. This corresponds to abundant YOY Walleye numbers (due to natural reproduction or fry stocking) captured in the 2014 fall night electrofishing survey (52.50 YOY/hour, 5.71 inches). Walleye numbers were low in the previous 2023 summer survey (3.33 fish/gillnet) compared to 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 2022 Walleye year class (fry stocked year) comprised 32% of the 2023 total Walleye summer survey catch. The Nest Lake fishery will be surveyed in the 2025 fall for YOY Walleye due to natural reproduction/fry stocking and the 2026 summer by standard survey gears for all fish species.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Nest Lake was conducted on June 24-27, 2024, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 14 sampling stations, but one station was sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample 10 stations and site conditions (i.e., dense aquatic vegetation) prevented the use of seines at four stations. Nearshore sampling captured 20 species of fish including five species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Iowa Darter, Logperch, Pugnose Shiner, and Smallmouth Bass) and two species that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Fathead Minnow and Green Sunfish). A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted by IBI Program Staff. Twelve trap nets were set along the shoreline and in shallow offshore locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured 12 species of fish, including one that is intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Rock Bass) and two that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead and Green Sunfish). Bluegill comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and biomass. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from an August 2023 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. 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. Results from this survey are similar to previous findings. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the North Fork Crow Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Nest Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, and Largemouth Bass in Nest. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Nest. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Nest has a maximum depth of 40 feet and a mean depth of 15 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Nest is from 2024.

Yes — Nest has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.