Little Pelican Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota271 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Pelican Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
Little Pelican Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 7, 2025 caught 1.25 walleye per gill net at Little Pelican Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Pelican Lake is a 271-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 34 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Pelican Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17.2 ft of visibility
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 13
- Deep water34 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Pelican Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Pelican Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Little Pelican Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Pelican Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 17.2 ft down. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 17.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Little Pelican Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Pelican Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (65°F) to its warmest (74°F).
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 →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 7, 2025 caught 1.25 walleye per gill net at Little Pelican Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Pelican Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-07 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-07 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 31.14 | 3–8 in 2025-07-07 | 0.16 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 28.82 | ||
| Yellow Bullhead | 13.99 | 5–11 in 2025-07-07 | 0.41 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 13.49 |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
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 Bullhead
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
Lake Details
Max depth
34 ft
Surface area
271 acres
Shoreline
3.7 mi
Littoral zone
76%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Jones BayPublic
- Little Pelican LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Little Pelican Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Little Pelican Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Pelican Lake
- → Little Pelican Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Pelican Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Pelican Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Pelican Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.56 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.01 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 13
Earliest Apr 10, 2005 · Latest Apr 17, 2002
Most recent ice-out
Apr 10
2005
5 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0351-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Little Pelican Lake
Where is Little Pelican Lake?
- Little Pelican Lake is a lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Little Pelican Lake?
- Little Pelican Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Pelican Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Little Pelican Lake?
- Little Pelican Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Pelican Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 7, 2025 caught 1.25 walleye per gill net at Little Pelican Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Pelican Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
Can I fish at Little Pelican Lake?
- Little Pelican Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Little Pelican Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate