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Fishing Pelican Lake: what the data says
14-acre lake near Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 13 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Walleye fishing at Pelican Lake
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 3 to 13 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 13 ft. Shoreline break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Pelican Lake
Spring yellow perch on Pelican Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 4 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Pelican Lake
Spring northern pike on Pelican Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 4 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Muskellunge fishing at Pelican Lake
In spring, muskellunge run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 4 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. Shoreline break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for fall muskellunge. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dusk | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Pelican Lake
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 4 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Shoreline break, a drop-off in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Crappie fishing at Pelican Lake
Spring crappie on Pelican Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Pelican Lake also holds bluegill (3 to 13 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 11 ft
- Shoreline break: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Pelican Lake?
Pelican Lake is about 13 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Pelican Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, muskellunge, yellow perch, pumpkinseed on Pelican Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Where is the best fishing spot on Pelican Lake?
Shoreline break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Pelican Lake?
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Gates Lake · Muskellunge Lake · Camp Four Lake · Seagels Lake · Torrey Lake · Mud Lake
See how Pelican Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin
Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.