Fishing

Pelican Lake is a 12,000 acre body of water dotted with 53 island, many bays and points. The average depth of water is 13 feet with the deepest area being 40 feet deep. Pelican is a very fertile productive lake with a variety of structure to fish. Sand, gravel, rock reefs, and many weed beds are home to Northern Pike, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass.

Northern Pike

Trolling along weed lines with weedless artificial lures or a sucker minnow. Casting again with weedless artificial lures is best. For still fishing use a large sucker minnow with a big bobber. In the Spring and Fall, fish the shallow water. As the water warms you will need to fish deeper.

Walleye

Still fish using minnows and a jig in Spring and Fall. Switch to leeches and nightcrawlers in Summer, deep water areas are the best.

Crappie

Fishing the shallows around islands with minnows early in the season is your best bet to catch spawning papermouths. As the season progresses, jig and minnow drifted through the weed beds produce nice fish. In the Fall, fish a jig in deep water for those suspended slabbys. Don't forget to fish the reefs and shallows just after dark.

Bluegill

Mid-June through mid-July is the time to catch large numbers of these feisty 1/2 to 3/4 lb slabs of fun while they are on their spawning beds. Still fishing using a plain hook or jig tipped with a leech or crawler will work. However, mid-July through mid-August has produced smaller numbers but larger size, many over a pound. Look for openings in the weed bed

Largemouth Bass

This is one of the finest lakes you will find for largemouth bass in the Northland with a very large and ever-increasing population and size of fish. Largemouth are a warmer water fish so mid-June through August are best. Weed beds are the places to fish and casting with spinner baits, buzz baits or weedless lures work best. We see 5-6 pounders every summer.

Smallmouth Bass

These fish love gravel and rock. Look for rocky points, gravel bottom and rock reefs. Smallmouth are very aggressive on their beds when spawning, mid-June through mid-July. Casting with spinner baits and leeches work well. Nightcrawlers and crawfish catch the big ones. 4-5 lb pounders are not uncommon.