Idaho Fish Report

Pelican Lake is at its fullest point of the year in the spring, as the lake may still be receiving water and withdrawals don’t start until April 15 or later. In good water years, the bullrush will be inundated, and fish will have access to the entire lake, making spring the easiest time to shore fish at Pelican Lake. Shore anglers can access from the jetty by the main boat ramp, the north side sportsman’s access, or the east side off the highway. Boat anglers can access the lake by boat at the main ramp on the south side and by small watercraft at the north side sportsman’s access. The BLM has improved the campground at Pelican Lake and there are many areas to camp now in addition to having a picnic area. The angler access on the north side is pretty shallow, but anglers can launch small watercraft there. The access runs through private property so access is limited to either the point by the DWR AIS sign, or the access at the end of the peninsula which is on BLM property. Spring is an excellent time to fish Pelican Lake and to bring out the binoculars for some world class bird-watching. Spring fishing at Pelican can be pretty phenomenal as air temperatures warm up. Mosquitos are not yet a problem, some bugs are hatching and the fish begin to become more active. Early spring techniques can include fishing the bulrush line with crankbaits, spinners or grubs/plastics dragged across the bottom. Later in the spring, bass will move in to spawn, and will actively be protecting nests. After the bass spawn, bluegills move in and are just as aggressive at protecting their nests. We do not encourage fishing bluegills off nests, as there may be a multitude of predators waiting to prey upon the nest if left unprotected (largemouth bass being one of them so feel free to try to target the lingering bass that are hanging out near bluegill nests). Common carp also become more active in the spring and will move into shallow areas on warm, sunny days to spawn. Please help this fishery by targeting these species using bow, spear or even traditional fishing methods. If you do catch a carp, it is considered a nongame species and wasting rules do not apply. Please remove it from the lake and dispose of it properly — not on the shoreline or in someone else’s dumpster.