Pelican Lake Campground

No Ratings
·Ouray Valley

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

Great Facilities and Amenities

  • Campfire Allowed

    (11 of 13 campsites have Campfire Allowed)

  • Checkin Time

    (11 of 13 campsites have Checkin Time)

  • Checkout Time

    (11 of 13 campsites have Checkout Time)

  • Driveway Entry

    (1 of 13 campsites have Driveway Entry)

  • Firepit

    (12 of 13 campsites have Firepit)

  • Max Num Of People

    (Up to 20)

  • Max Num Of Vehicles

    (Up to 10)

  • Pets Allowed

    (All campsites have Pets Allowed)

  • Picnic Table

    (All campsites have Picnic Table)

  • Shade

    (11 of 13 campsites have Shade)

  • Site Access

    (11 of 13 campsites have Site Acceses)

Natural Features

Welcome to Pelican Lake - Credits: BLM
Pelican Lake Campground, Host site - Credits: BLM
Spring at Pelican Lake - Credits: BLM
Pelican Lake - Credits: BLM

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. 

Recreation

Pelican Lake - Credits: BLM

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

Permitted Equipment

  • rv-N/A

  • tent-N/A

  • vehicle-N/A

  • 5th wheel-N/A

  • camper van-N/A

  • pickup camper-N/A

  • pop up camper-N/A

  • trailer-N/A

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.

Additional Information