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1,005-acre lake near Cherry County. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission survey water. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The outline encloses 1,005 acres, worked by 7.4 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.7) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The basin spans about 3.6 mi end to end and 0.6 mi across at its widest. It sits in Cherry County. If the bite dies, West Long Lake is 3 mi to the west.
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 10 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on Pelican Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 10 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring muskellunge on Pelican Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 10 ft in summer, 3 to 10 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 9 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 10 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 10 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Pelican Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 10 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 10 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Pelican Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 10 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Pelican Lake also holds common carp (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 10 ft.
Access data: Nebraska Game & Parks — Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Nebraska waters are set by the Nebraska Game and Parks — and special regulations can apply to Pelican Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nebraska fishing regulations →
Pelican Lake is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, muskellunge, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, common carp on Pelican Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in 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 Nebraska Game and Parks. Check the official Nebraska regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
West Long Lake 3 mi · Hackberry Lake 3 mi · Merritt Reservoir 15 mi · Valentine Mill Pond 25 mi · Niobrara River 31 mi · Willow Lake 36 mi · Cottonwood Steverson Lake 53 mi · Cottonwood Lake 58 mi · Twin Lakes North 62 mi · Twin Lakes South 62 mi · Roosevelt Lake 71 mi, SD · Shell Lake 75 mi
See how Pelican Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Nebraska · best northern pike lakes in Nebraska · best crappie lakes in Nebraska · best bluegill lakes in Nebraska
More water nearby: Cherry County fishing maps (9 charts). Browse all Nebraska fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.