Pelican Lake

Pelican Lake sits at the top of the Minnesota PCA grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Minnesota. The two scored sub-grades — clarity and phosphorus — track close together, so neither one is dragging the average down.

Trophically, Pelican Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. The lake's 104 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. Pelican Lake covers 8,367 acres alongside 27.8 miles of shoreline, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Among the 120 graded lakes in Crow Wing County, Pelican Lake sits at rank 50, above the county median.

Zebra mussels have been documented at Pelican Lake, which alters the filter-feeding balance and can paradoxically increase water clarity while disrupting the food web. Walleye are documented at Pelican Lake, one of 17 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a partial ice record — 12 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 19. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.