Fishing at Pelican Lake, Rolette County, North Dakota

• Overview

  Pelican Lake is one of the Rolette County waters in North Dakota. Beyond the shoreline you have rolling bush. It measures about 118 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The full circuit measures close to 1.7 miles on foot. Bottineau is the closest place, 11 miles off. It is 155 miles to Winnipeg, the nearest city. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Pelican Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Rolette County records list bluegill, northern pike, white bass, yellow perch and johnny darter among the fish reported. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Pelican Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 65°F in July and bottom out at 1°F in January. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. That is the shape of the year on Pelican Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. A platform or pier sits within half a mile. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Sand Lake, 0.8 miles away. For Pelican Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.