Pelican Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota11,546 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pelican Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 38 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Pelican Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 38 ft. Surface area: 11546.3 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 6, 2022 caught 6.75 walleye per gill net at Pelican Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Pelican Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 35 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Pelican Lake is a 11,546-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 38 feet. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 6 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pelican Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch6 documented ramps
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 26
- Deep water38 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water11,546 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pelican Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether 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 Pelican Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pelican Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.5 ft. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Pelican Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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 (25,823 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 ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 6, 2022 caught 6.75 walleye per gill net at Pelican Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pelican Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-06 (Standard Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2022-06-06 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 13.79 | 4–17 in 2022-06-06 | 1.38 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 12.44 | 5–15 in 2022-06-06 | 0.74 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 12.24 | 4–12 in 2022-06-06 | 0.15 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 8.43 | 4–18 in 2022-06-06 | 0.89 lb |
| Bluegill | 7.45 | 3–7 in 2022-06-06 | 0.18 lb |
| Black Crappie | 6.94 | 4–11 in 2022-06-06 | 0.24 lb |
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.
Smallmouth Bass
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
From the 2022-06-06 survey
Pelican is a 11,546-acre, class 7 lake located west of Highway 53 at Orr, MN. Slightly over half (54%) of the lake is littoral area. Centrarchids, Northern Pike, and Yellow Perch dominate the sport-fish community. Special regulations protecting Northern Pike (24 to 38 inches) and Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass (14 to…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pelican Lake. 4 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
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pelican (1907)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — PelicanFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PelicanPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
38 ft
Surface area
11,546 acres
Shoreline
55.7 mi
Littoral zone
51%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
69 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,280 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Pelican Lake (West)Public
- Saunders BayPublic
- County Road 516Public
- OrrPublic
- Pelican Lake (Northeast)Public
- County Road 515Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Pelican Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Pelican Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pelican Lake
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 26
Earliest Apr 2, 2010 · Latest May 16, 2013
Most recent ice-out
May 10
2022
38 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pelican Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Pelican Lake (completed 2002), built primarily for recreation on the Pelican River; gravity-type dam, 10 ft tall and 80 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,050 ac
- Normal storage
- 197,010 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 240,790 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 69.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- County of St. Louis - Hwy
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00097 · 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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0841-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Pelican Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Orr WwtpOrr · 4.2 mi away · NPDES MN0024422Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Pelican Lake
Where is Pelican Lake?
- Pelican Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pelican Lake?
- Pelican Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 38 ft. Surface area: 11546.3 acres.
Is Pelican Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pelican Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Pelican Lake?
- Pelican Lake has a maximum depth of 38 feet. The lake covers 11546.3 acres.
What fish are in Pelican Lake?
- Fish species found in Pelican Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Pelican Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pelican Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 6, 2022 caught 6.75 walleye per gill net at Pelican Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pelican Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Pelican Lake thaw?
- Pelican Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 26.
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 (25,823 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 6 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pelican Lake (West), Saunders Bay, County Road 516, Orr, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pelican Lake?
- Pelican Lake has 6 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.
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Where this data comes from
201 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
MNPCA201 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
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