Little Pelican Lake
Little Pelican Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 17.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 271.38 acres.
- Clarity
- 17.2 ft
- Typical in August
- 71°F
- Max depth
- 34 ft
- Area
- 271 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 13
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Little Pelican Lake is a 271-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 34 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Little Pelican Lake ranks #46 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 17.2 ft down. Phosphorus level: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 39.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 17.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 12 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Little Pelican Lake
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Water Temperature
Little Pelican Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 26 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Pelican Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 34 ft |
| Surface Area | 271 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 3.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 76% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Recreation & Access
- Jones BayPublic
- Little Pelican LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Pelican Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-07 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 31.14 | 0.16 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 28.82 | — |
| BKF | 15.71 | — |
| Yellow Bass | 13.99 | 0.41 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 13.49 | — |
| BCS | 12.42 | — |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Yellow Bass
From the 2025-07-07 survey
Little Pelican is a 271 acre lake that is located two miles south of Breezy Point in Crow Wing County. A public access is on the southeast corner. Little Pelican reaches depths of 34 feet, with 76% of the lake 15 feet deep or less. Dense vegetation, primarily comprised of water lilies, cover large areas of the lake.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Pelican Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little PelicanFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Pelican (0179)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little PelicanPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.179 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.56 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.01 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (5 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2005-04-10 (2005) | 2002-04-17 (2002) |
| Ice-In | 2002-11-15 (2002) | 2004-11-24 (2004) |
Most recent ice-out: 2005-04-10
EPA Impairment Status
Little Pelican Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0351-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #46 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Little Pelican Lake
What is the water quality grade for Little Pelican Lake?
- Little Pelican Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 17.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 271.38 acres.
Is Little Pelican Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Little Pelican Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Little Pelican Lake?
- Little Pelican Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in August, from 26 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Pelican Lake?
- Little Pelican Lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet. The lake covers 271.38 acres.
What fish are in Little Pelican Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Pelican Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Pelican Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Little Pelican Lake thaw?
- Little Pelican Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 13.
Are there boat ramps on Little Pelican Lake?
- Little Pelican Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Jones Bay, Little Pelican Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
99 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA99 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate