Pelican Lake sits near Watertown in Codington County, South Dakota, serving as a popular fishery managed primarily for walleye and yellow perch while supporting diverse species including northern pike, white bass, black crappie, and multiple sunfish species. The lake provides year-round fishing opportunities with its family-oriented recreation area offering camping, boat access, and shoreline fishing. While walleye numbers hover at low to moderate abundance levels (2.7 per gill net in recent surveys), the lake maintains quality size structure with 84% of sampled walleyes exceeding 15 inches and 69% surpassing 20 inches. The fishery attracts considerable pressure during both open water and ice fishing seasons, with Conservation Officers regularly reporting upward of 50 ice shacks during peak winter fishing.