Pelican Lake

Summary

Pelican Lake Campground, located at 4,800 feet, is a popular destination for fishing and bird watching. It features 11 individual campsites and two group sites. Facilities include picnic tables, fire rings and vault toilets, though visitors must bring their own water. The lake is renowned for its bluegill and bass fishing and the nearby Ouray National Wildlife Refuge offers diverse habitats for over 350 species.

Overview

This Campground is on a First Come - First Serve Basis, vistors are required to physically be at the campground to purchase and claim a site. You must also occupy the area the day you pay for it, no advance payments. We encourage our visitors to download the recreation.gov app to take advantage of the Scan & Pay Option. There is also an Iron Ranger on site that you can pay with cash or check 

Pelican Lake Campground is located at 4,800 feet and has 11 individual campsites and two group sites. Pelican Lake is well known for the outstanding bluegill and bass fishing. Bird watching is also a popular pastime in the spring, when the waterfowl come to live and rear their downy young.

Recreation

Pelican Lake is well known for the outstanding bluegill and bass fishing. Bird watching is also a popular pastime in the spring.

Facilities

11 individual sites and two group sites are available. Sites include picnic tables and fire rings. Vault toilets are available within the campground community. Please bring your own water.

Campsites are first-come first-served.   

Natural Features

Pelican Lake has been a nationally-renowned bluegill fishery since the 1970’s when Jim Zumbo published an article in Outdoor Life on the potential for daily bag limits of 1.5 pound bluegill. Since then, anglers have held high expectations for Pelican Lake. Unfortunately, in 2008 and 2009, adult carp entered Pelican Lake in large numbers and turned the lake from a clear waterbody dominated by largemouth bass and bluegill to a lake dominated by carp. The carp’s ability to outcompete bluegill for food eventually led to a decline in bluegill condition and a few years later, a decline in largemouth bass condition. 

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), and avid Pelican Lake anglers anticipated this decline and convened a working group that developed a management plan for the lakes future success. 

Nearby Attractions

Ouray National Wildlife Refuge 

Ouray National Wildlife Refuge lies along the Green River in the Uinta Basin of northeastern Utah. The Refuge provides diverse habitat types supporting over 350 fish and wildlife species and offers numerous wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities.