Pelican Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota291 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pelican Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 46 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Pelican Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 46 ft. Surface area: 291.06 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 10, 2023 caught 2.83 walleye per gill net at Pelican Lake. DNR survey details →
Pelican Lake is a 291-acre lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 46 feet (17-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-08-12. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Pelican Lake covers about 290 acres in Stearns County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 8, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Pelican Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Pelican Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 8
- Deep water46 ft surveyed max depth
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.
Good clarity, visible to about 13.5 ft. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.5ft | 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. | 40 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Pelican Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Pelican Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 68°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (53°F) to its warmest (68°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 82 field readings (2011–2025) 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 high (222,844 cells/mL) on November 22, 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 July 10, 2023 caught 2.83 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, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-10 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2023-07-10 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 99.29 | 1 in 2000-07-10 | |
| Largemouth Bass | 23.38 | 4–17 in 2023-07-10 | 0.88 lb |
| Bluegill | 18.22 | 3–9 in 2023-07-10 | 0.15 lb |
| Northern Pike | 9.08 | 14–34 in 2023-07-10 | 1.54 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.
Bluntnose Minnow
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Northern Pike
From the 2023-07-10 survey
Pelican Lake is a 337-acre lake located five miles northeast of Avon in Stearns County. It has a maximum depth of 46 feet and a small watershed dominated by agriculture (pasture/row crops) and open water. A state-owned public access is located on the northwest side of the lake. Pelican Lake is primarily managed for…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pelican Lake. 5 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 (0279)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pelican (1981)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
46 ft
Average depth
17.4 ft
Surface area
291 acres
Shoreline
3.2 mi
Littoral zone
46%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,135 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- 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 Pelican Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pelican Lake in Stearns 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
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Pelican Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pelican Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 8
Earliest Mar 7, 2024 · Latest May 3, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 30
Earliest Nov 12, 1995 · Latest Dec 21, 1999
Most recent ice-out
Mar 22
2025
100 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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 MN73-0118-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Pelican Lake
Where is Pelican Lake?
- Pelican Lake is a lake in Stearns 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 Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 46 ft. Surface area: 291.06 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.
What is the water temperature of Pelican Lake?
- Pelican Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in October, from 82 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pelican Lake?
- Pelican Lake has a maximum depth of 46 feet and an average depth of 17.4 feet. The lake covers 291.06 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, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pelican Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pelican Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 10, 2023 caught 2.83 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, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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 8. Ice typically forms around Nov 30. The open water season is approximately 236 days.
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 high (222,844 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. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pelican Lake?
- Pelican Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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
97 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA97 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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 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