Pelican Lake
Pelican Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 104 ft. Surface area: 8367.35 acres.
- Clarity
- 14.3 ft
- Typical in August
- 62°F
- Max depth
- 104 ft
- Area
- 8,367 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 19
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Pelican Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 100 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Pelican Lake is a 8,367-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 104 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Pelican Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-16. 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)
Good clarity, visible to about 14.3 ft. Phosphorus level: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 39.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 14.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 11 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 Pelican Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pelican Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Pelican Lake
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Pelican Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
Water Temperature
Pelican Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 61°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 62°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 355 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pelican Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pelican Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (33,113 cells/mL) on November 15, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 104 ft |
| Surface Area | 8,367 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 27.8 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 47% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Pelican Lake (Northwest)Public
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pelican Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
36 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-09 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| BMS | 28.96 | — |
| Walleye | 25.61 | 1.16 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 23.33 | 0.12 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 11.98 | — |
| Spottail Shiner | 11.77 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.26 | 0.74 lb |
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.
Walleye
Yellow Perch
Bluntnose Minnow
Spottail Shiner
From the 2025-09-09 survey
Pelican Lake is typically stocked annually with 3.9 million Walleye fry. In 2024 and 2025, fry were stocked at roughly half of the typical rate (2 million) to evaluate if a reduced stocking rate can produce a successful year class of Walleye. Fingerling stocking is done on a contingency basis when fall electrofishing…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for 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 — PelicanFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — PelicanFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PelicanPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.104 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.5 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.03 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (12 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-15 (2024) | 2013-05-14 (2013) |
Most recent ice-out: 2024-03-15
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pelican Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Pelican Lake (completed 1938), built primarily for other on the Pelican Brook-TR; gravity-type dam, 8 ft tall and 38 ft long.
- Surface area
- 8,253 ac
- Normal storage
- 149,842 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 170,275 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 27.8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- County of Crow Wing
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00046 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Pelican Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0308-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #5 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Pelican Lake
What is the water quality grade for Pelican Lake?
- Pelican Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 104 ft. Surface area: 8367.35 acres.
Is Pelican Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. 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 Pelican Lake?
- Pelican Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in August, from 355 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pelican Lake?
- Pelican Lake has a maximum depth of 104 feet. The lake covers 8367.35 acres.
What fish are in Pelican Lake?
- Fish species found in Pelican Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pelican Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Pelican Lake thaw?
- Pelican Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 19.
Does Pelican Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pelican Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (33,113 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Pelican Lake?
- Pelican Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pelican Lake (Northwest). Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
288 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA288 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 (3)
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