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Get to Know the Lake

The Lake We Share

Pelican Lake is a vibrant northern Wisconsin lake shared by the Towns of Enterprise and Schoepke. It’s a place for walleye, musky and panfish fishing, boating, swimming, and life along a shoreline lined with homes and cottages. Three public boat landings provide access to residents and visitors.

There’s always something happening on the lake. These pages bring together the information you need to enjoy it, understand it, and help protect it—from lake rules and water conditions to hazards, access, and ongoing lake-management efforts.

Water Quality & Lake Health

Learn about the impact of Eurasian watermilfoil on Pelican Lake, what the Association does each season to manage it, and the Lake Management Plan that guides our work on the water.

Clean Boats, Clean Waters volunteers at a boat landing

Water Quality & Lake Health

Boating Rules & Safety

Hazard buoys, slow-no-wake rules, boat landings, and the basics you need to know before you launch. Know the signs, know the rules, and get on the water safely.

Group aboard a pontoon boat

Boating Rules & Safety

Fishing on Pelican Lake

What the DNR surveys are telling us, what’s being stocked, which fishing regulations apply on Pelican Lake, and where to report a fish kill. Know what’s in the water, know the rules, and help keep the lake healthy.

Boy fishing from a dock on Pelican Lake

Fishing on Pelican Lake

Map of Pelican Lake

Depth contours, underwater hazards, boat landings, and weed-navigation lanes—all mapped from the Association’s high-resolution survey of the lake bottom. Know what’s beneath you before you head out.

People aboard a boat, possibly holding a pole or marker

Clean, Drain, Inspect — Protect Pelican Lake

Aquatic invasive species can hitch a ride on boats, trailers, and equipment. Pelican Lake already has Eurasian watermilfoil, and the Association spends significant time and money each year keeping it under control. Keeping the next invasive species out is far easier—and far less expensive—than trying to remove it once it arrives.

Before You Leave Any Waterbody

Wisconsin law requires you to:

  • Inspect your boat, trailer, and equipment.
  • Remove all attached aquatic plants and animals.
  • Drain all water from your boat, motor, livewell, and containers.
  • Never move live fish away from a waterbody.

During the boating season, inspectors are stationed at Pelican Lake landings to help boaters understand and follow the rules. Camera systems also record launches and retrievals at two landings.

Clean Boats, Clean Waters Logo

The goal is simple: help protect Pelican Lake and keep new invasive species out. Inspectors are there to educate and assist—not to catch people doing something wrong. But these are Wisconsin state laws, not optional local preferences.

Lake Levels

Pelican Lake is one of 21 reservoirs the Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company operates to regulate flow on the Wisconsin and Tomahawk rivers. A dam on County Q, at the north end of the lake, controls the level, and WVIC — not the Association — decides how it is managed.

WVIC publishes a daily level and gate report for South Pelican, along with the ability to look up historical levels by date range.

Current lake levels at WVIC

Data published by the Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company. Readings are provisional and subject to revision. Check WVIC’s page for current operating notices, which may affect how the graph should be read.

The Latest from Pelican Lake

Have a Question?

Still have a question? Use the contact form and choose the topic closest to what you need. Your message will be directed to the members who work on that area of the PLAW.

Want to know who handles what? Visit the Committees page, where you’ll find every committee and its responsibilities.

Looking up official DNR information? Pelican Lake in Oneida County is Wisconsin waterbody #1579900. There is another Pelican Lake in Minnesota, with different regulations, so check the waterbody number to make sure you’re looking at the correct lake.