Pelican Lake is an awesome place to catch bass in the state of Utah. It is known as a blue ribbon bluegill fishery in the state, and bluegill can be a staple diet for Largemouth Bass. Thus, the Largemouth do really well in this lake and can be found prowling the waters. It is a natural lake, with lot’s of vegetation to give the fish plenty of cover and abundant forage. Here is a general guide of what to do to help you get “Kraken” bass on Pelican Lake.

Pelican Lake Bass Fishing

Location:

Pelican Lake sits in Uintah County, outside the city of Roosevelt, Utah. It is off of State Road 88, south of highway 40, and is pretty easy to find. It takes about 2.5 hours from Provo to reach the lake. Here is the map of where it is located:

About:

Pelican Lake is considered a blue ribbon fishery in the state of Utah. It is primarily known for its abundance of bluegill. It can be a great place to take your kids fishing, as I always loved catching bluegill when I was a child.

In my opinion, the best part of Pelican Lake is the Largemouth Bass you can find lurking in the waters. It sits at about 4,800 feet of elevation, and it can get quite warm in the summer. Be prepared to bring some bug spray. Local bass clubs occasionally go out to Pelican Lake because of the abundance of fun structure to fish, and the possibility of tying into a beast. The lake doesn’t get too heavily pressured because most people in the state prefer to catch trout.

For more information on the lake, as well as fishing regulations, here is the link to the Utah Division of Wildlife’s page about the place:

Pelican Lake Information & Regulations

Times & Tips for Catching Bass:

Here is a break down of each season with some tips to catch Largemouth Bass in Pelican Lake.

Spring:

During the spring, one popular technique is pitching and flipping jigs to the heavy cover throughout Pelican. Usually around mid to late April, when the lake water temperature hits around 55 degrees, look for the Largemouth  moving to the shallows preparing to spawn. This is one of the best times to catch them. Other good baits to throw during the spring are spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and texas rigged soft plastics. Some of the best colors to use  are green pumpkin, white, and chartreuse.

Summer:

Pelican lake has been known to carry swimmers itch this time of year, so be careful about getting in the water. This doesn’t stop the bass from biting though. Topwater baits can be dynamite at this time of year, especially early morning and late evening. Also, out in deep water, don’t be afraid to throw a drop shot rig during the day. The best  baits to use are those that move easily through grass and cover,  such as flukes, Texas rigged worms, and spinnerbaits. Make sure you load up with some bug spray to keep from getting eaten alive in the summer.

Fall

In the fall the water starts cooling down, and the Largemouth start stocking up for the winter. Because of the abundance of Bluegill in Pelican, bluegill imitation baits are always a good choice . Shallow diving crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwater baits are great to throw in the fall. In the later months of the fall, the bass become less aggressive. This is a good time to use slower moving presentations, like a drop shot, or a Carolina rig to try and catch fish.

Winter:

Pelican Lake usually freezes over in the winter. If your not afraid of the cold, go drill a hole in the ice and maybe you can catch a bass. It’s a pretty tough row to hoe, but traditional ice fishing jigs will sometimes catch fish.

(See the affiliate links at the bottom of the page to purchase my favorite choices of  baits to try on Pelican Lake. Thanks for the support!)

Additional Thoughts:

Pelican Lake is a small, out of the way fisheryand a great get away for some bass “Kraken”. The abundant vegetation makes it a fun place to fish. If you want to catch higher numbers of fish use smaller baits; if your looking to catch a few pigs try throwing bigger bluegill imitation style baits. For even bigger big pigs, don’t forget to throw the swimbait! Here is a picture of a beast of a bass caught out of Pelican. I found this picture posted by Dynamic Lures of one of their happy customers out at Pelican Lake crushing a toad to keep us drooling .

Hope this helps you on your next Pelican Lake bass fishing trip, and gets you stoked to go “Kraken” Bass! Feel free to leave any comments on your experience with Pelican Lake bass fishing.

As Always,

Stay Stoked!

Gear to use:

Here is a list of my top baits to try at Pelican Lake.

Topwaters:

Megabass Giant Dog-X
Megabass POPX
Jackall Iobee Frog

Spinnerbaits/Chatterbaits:

Water Slash DW-3/8 Killer Ayu
Z-Man The Original ChatterBait
Boo Yah – AYU Spinnerbait

Crankbaits:

Strike King Square Bill 2.5 Crankbait, Neon Bluegill, 5/8-Ounce
Jackall Aska Squarebill Crankbaits

Jigs & Soft Plastics:

Strike King Denny Brauer Premier Pro-Model Jig
Zoom Bait Salty Super Fluke Bait-Pack of 10 (Baby Bass, 5-Inch)
Berkley Havoc Pit Boss Softbaits
Zoom Trick Worm-Pack of 20 (Green Pumpkin, 6.75-Inch)

Swimbaits:

Okuma Fishing Tackle Savage Gear Real Trout Swimbait Slow Sinking Lure, Dark Trout, 7-Inch – 2 2/3-Ounce
Huddleston Swimbaits