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Rating depth structure for smallmouth bass.
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14-acre lake in Ashland County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 13 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Traced from the shoreline, Pelican Lake runs 14 acres with 0.6 miles of edge. At index 1.1 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The water lies in Ashland County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Gates Lake, 2 mi north of here.
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 3 to 13 ft. Even in summer they hold at 4 to 13 ft; winter keeps them in 4 to 13 ft. The chart's best answer is Shoreline break — drop-off, 6 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline break (6 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline break (6 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & night | Shoreline break (6 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (11 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring yellow perch on Pelican Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Deep basin (11 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 13 ft, wintering in 4 to 13 ft. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline break (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: muskellunge in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 13 ft, wintering in 4 to 13 ft. Top water on the chart: Shoreline break, a drop-off in the 6 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline break (6 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dusk | Shoreline break (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 13 ft, wintering in 4 to 13 ft. Winter smallmouth bass concentrate at Shoreline break, a prime-rated drop-off around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (6 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline break (6 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Shoreline break (6 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 13 ft, wintering in 4 to 13 ft. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 11 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | 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.
Count 4 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 11 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Pelican Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Pelican Lake is about 13 ft (4 m) deep 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.
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, 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.
Shoreline break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Pelican Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Gates Lake 2 mi · Muskellunge Lake 4 mi · Camp Four Lake 4 mi · Bullhead Lake 5 mi · Seagels Lake 6 mi · Slim Lake 6 mi · Torrey Lake 7 mi · Mud Lake 7 mi · Bear Lake 8 mi · Gordon Lake 8 mi · Cub Lake 8 mi · Zielke Lake 8 mi
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
More water nearby: Ashland County fishing maps (68 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.