Official State of Iowa Website

LakeDetails

  Fishing   >   Where to Fish   >   Lakes Ponds & Reservoirs   >   LakeDetails

Nelson Park Lake

General Information

County: Crawford
Location: 3 miles west, 3 miles north of Dow City
Acres: 11.00
Maximum Depth: 25.7 ft. (2014)
Motoring Restrictions: Electric Motors Only

Nearby Parks

Amenities

Amenities at Nelson Park Lake include:
  • Boat Access
  • Accessible Pier
  • Picnic Area
  • Beach
  • Playground
  • Restrooms
  • Camping
  • Good/Excellent Shorefishing
  • Gravel Boat Ramp
  • Accessible Shoreline

No recent updates

Lake Maps

Download Printable Lake Map

You can zoom in on the map for bathymetric information for some lakes

  • 9/20/22 - 198 Channel Catfish (9.1)
  • 09/21/2020 - 199 Channel Catfish (8.3)
  • 09/26/2018 - 200 Channel Catfish (8.9)
  • 10/11/16 - 198 Channel Catfish (9.3")

  • Brittle Naiad

The Fishing Regulations brochure is available for download. The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit.

  • Black Crappie
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black and white crappie, 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: No daily limit on private waters
  • Bluegill
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: No daily limit on private waters
  • Channel Catfish
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 8 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined: channel, blue and flathead catfish, 30 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Largemouth Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 3 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 6 fish
    • Length Limit: 15-inch minimum
    • Other:

Nelson Park is home to monster bluegill. Target bluegill from the dam early in the spring, fish the spawning beds in the shallows towards the end of May and early June, and drift fish later in the summer. Largemouth bass numbers are good and anglers can expect to find decent sized bass. Channel catfish are stocked on a regular basis in Nelson Park.(2020)

Tip: Click the arrow in the lower right corner to view the Fish Survey Data tool in full-screen mode.

Contacts

Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases

The vast majority of Iowa’s streams, rivers and lakes offer safe and high-quality fish that pose little or no threat to human health if consumed. Some limitations may apply for young children and pregnant women. Here’s a Fish Consumption Fact Sheet from the Iowa DNR and the Iowa Dept. of Public Health for more information.