Fishing Pelican Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Out in Oneida County, Wisconsin, sits Pelican Lake. It sits at 1,585 feet above sea level. Around 5.6 sq miles of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. It is among the larger waters listed here for Oneida County. Some 8.5 miles away sits Nashville, the nearest settlement. After that come Rhinelander at 14 miles and Crandon at 15 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Pelican Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Oneida County cover brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass and northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Pelican Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 66°F and January near 10°F on the long-run figures. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Pelican Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Being dammed, it draws down in some seasons and fills in others. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Silver Lake at 2.3 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Pelican Lake before loading the car.