We only saw about three people at Nelson Lake on Labor Day.

Granted, it was very hot.  We ate our picnic lunch up on shore in one of the camping areas on the west side of the lake.  There was a lot of room to run and play, but not much shade, and we were too hot to do much running.

Our dog repeatedly sat down in the water to cool himself off.  Not that it helped much—the nearby Milton R. Young electrical plant has an outlet into the lake.  The water is warm.   

According to Jason Lee, Northcentral District Fisheries Supervisor for North Dakota Game and Fish Department, the lake was built as a cooling reservoir and water supply for the power plant, which is run by Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc.  It’s stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill and crappier.  North Dakota’s record largemouth bass—eight pounds seven ounces—came from Nelson Lake in 1983, Lee said. 

This summer, Nelson Lake became our favorite camping site.  We paddled all over the west side in our rowboat, sometimes scraping the oars against the lake bottom.  On average, the 573-acre Nelson Lake is only about 15.6 feet deep.

We camped at Nelson Lake about two weeks ago, when the weather was cool.  In the morning, the lake steamed up into the cooler air above it.  It was beautiful. 

Only one warning:  don’t drink the water.  That probably goes without saying for a warm lake connected to a power plant.