Pelican Lake: What You Need to Know
Pelican Lake is located about seven miles north of Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. It spans 8,367 acres, with an average depth of about 60 ft and a max depth of 104 ft. This places Pelican Lake in the upper 5% of lakes in Minnesota in terms of size! A fun fact about Pelican Lake is that it is a popular pitstop for migrating geese and ducks during the fall!
Over the summer, various birds call Pelican Lake home, including large, white pelicans!
What to Do:
Pelican Lake is known as one of the best lakes in Minnesota for fishing. Within the lake you’ll find pike, largemouth, and crappies just to name a few, but one of the most popular is the walleye. For those who like to get competitive when fishing, the lake is a great destination for many fishing tournaments! Apart from fishing, visitors can also enjoy activities such as boating, swimming, or admiring the scenery!
Popular attractions around the lake include:
Maplewood State Park
This state park, formed by the melting of glaciers during the last ice age, is characterized by its hilly terrain, maple forest, and eight large lakes. Visitors can enjoy various outdoor activities, such as swimming, fishing, boating, and camping. The park is also home to a diverse range of wildlife, including 150 species of birds, 50 species of mammals, and 25 species of reptiles and amphibians.
Image via Explore Minnesota Tourism, showing the beautiful maple forest of Maplewood State Park during the fall!
Golfing at Birchwood Golf Course & Lida Greens Golf Course
The Birchwood Golf Course is a lovely 9-hole course with rolling hills that both locals and visitors adore. For a longer game, the Lida Greens Golf Course offers 14 holes and stunning views of Lake Lida.
Weed Growth
Excessive weed growth like the cattails in this story can limit the recreational use and accessibility of these activities. It can also affect fish populations negatively due to their density and disturbance of the natural habitat. Pelican Lake’s most common invasive lake weeds include Eurasian water milfoil and curly-leaf-pondweed.
At Waterfront Restoration, our team of experts can help guide you through the available options and outline our approach to restoring a weed-free lakeshore for you. With proper lake management practices, we can maintain the balance of our aquatic ecosystems and protect their health and vitality.
Call to schedule a free no-obligation in-person or virtual consultation for lake weed removal today!
Resources:
“Crow Wing County, MN – Official Website: Official Website.” Crow Wing County, MN – Official Website | Official Website, www.crowwing.gov/. Accessed 28 June 2023.
“Maplewood State Park.” Explore Minnesota, www.exploreminnesota.com/profile/maplewood-state-park/8301. Accessed 28 June 2023.
“Maplewood State Park.” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 21 June 2023, www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00229#homepage.
“State Parks.” Pelican Lake Recreation Area | South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks, gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/pelican-lake-recreation-area/#:~:text=Pelican%20Lake%20is%20a%20popular,pelicans%20that%20frequent%20the%20lake. Accessed 28 June 2023.