Minnesota · Crow Wing County
Little Pelican Lake Fishing guide
Little Pelican Lake is a 271-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 34 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 18.5 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 5 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassGood numbers62.8per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 123 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 123 fish
2025Lengths measured · 32 fish
2010Lengths measured · 8 fish
1998Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeGood numbers14.3per gill net14"Typical30"Biggest
Lengths measured · 69 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 69 fish
2025Lengths measured · 76 fish
2010Lengths measured · 39 fish
1998BluegillJust a few22.4per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 284 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 284 fish
2025Lengths measured · 153 fish
2010Lengths measured · 184 fish
1998CrappieJust a few2.8per trap net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 27 fish
2025Lengths measured · 19 fish
2010Lengths measured · 27 fish
1998Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Little Pelican Lake through the year
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 18.5 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade. With 76% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 18.5 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. With 76% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Largemouth bass | Northern pike | Walleye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19" | 30" | 19" |
| 2010 | 20" | 35" | 28" |
| 1998 | 18" | 32" | 21" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Little Pelican is a 271 acre lake that is located two miles south of Breezy Point in Crow Wing County. A public access is on the southeast corner. Little Pelican reaches depths of 34 feet, with 76% of the lake 15 feet deep or less. Dense vegetation, primarily comprised of water lilies, cover large areas of the lake. Water clarity measured during the 2025 survey was excellent, with a Secchi depth of 20 feet. A standard survey using gill nets and trap nets along with spring electrofishing was conducted in 2025 to assess fish populations and provide angler information.
Anglers looking to get a meal of Bluegills should be able to accomplish that on Little Pelican, while those looking for trophy fish should look elsewhere. The Bluegill trap net catch was below average for the lake. Fish ranged in length from 3.9 to 8.5 inches with an average of 6.8 inches. Bluegill at least 7 inches in length made up 51% of the sample. Black Crappies were sampled in below average numbers in trap nets and in gill nets. Fish ran on the small side and ranged in length from 4.6 to 10.1 inches with 22% at least 8 inches in length. Only one fish over 10 inches was sampled.
Read the full DNR narrative
The Northern Pike population is dominated by small fish. Fish ranged in length from 10.8 to 30.1 inches with an average of 17.7 inches. Northern Pike in the 22-26 inch protected slot made up 9% of the catch with 16% at least 26 inches in length. Anglers should consider releasing larger fish to help create a more balanced population.
Anglers can expect good Largemouth Bass fishing based on what was caught in the
survey. Largemouth Bass were sampled by a spring electrofishing survey, the preferred method for sampling Largemouth Bass, at a rate of 61.7/hr run-time. Fish ranged from 5.0 to 19.4 inches with an average length of 10.9 inches. Approximately 25% of the sample least 12 inches in length. Largemouth Bass, when compared to similar lakes, were sampled in high number in gill nets. Fish ranged from 7.7 to 17.1 inches with an average length of 12.6 inches. Half of the gill net sample was at least 12 inches in length.
Walleye are not stocked into Little Pelican by the MNDNR, but Walleye fingerlings were stocked by the lake association in 2021 and 2023. The gill net catch of 1.3/gill net was above average for the lake (0.9/gill net). Fish ranged from 17.3 to 19.5 inches with an average of 18.1 inches. All Walleyes caught in the gill nets from the 2021 stocking. Two additional Walleye were sampled by spring electrofishing and ranged from 12.8-17.3 inches in length. Most anglers don't target Walleye on Little Pelican but may catch one while targeting different species.
Other species sampled in the latest survey included Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Yellow Bullhead and Yellow Perch.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Little Pelican Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Little Pelican Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Little Pelican Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Little Pelican Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Upper Cullen Lake · 442 ac · 2.1 mi
- Pelican Lake · 8,367 ac · 2.3 mi
- Middle Cullen Lake · 405 ac · 2.4 mi
- Lougee Lake · 212 ac · 3.2 mi
- Lower Cullen Lake · 560 ac · 3.9 mi
- Clark Lake · 305 ac · 4 mi
- Bonnie Lake · 76 ac · 4.1 mi
- East Twin Lake · 163 ac · 4.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Little Pelican Lake?
Little Pelican Lake reaches 34 ft at its deepest point; about 76% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Little Pelican Lake?
Little Pelican Lake covers 271 acres with about 3.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Little Pelican Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Little Pelican Lake average 18.5 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Little Pelican Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Little Pelican Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Little Pelican Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Little Pelican Lake have a public access?
Yes. Little Pelican Lake has one public access site: Little Pelican Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Little Pelican Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 19"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1998.
When was Little Pelican Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Little Pelican Lake in 2025, the most recent of 5 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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