# The death of Pelican Lake?



## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

So hard to believe, supposedly someone from am. fork went out to pelican and put a camera through the ice. He said he didn't see a moving fish, all fish were on the bottom and dead. My buddy claims they called the Fish and Game in Vernal and reported it and they haven't heard anything back yet. He said this has happened in the past. I hope this is not the case, that is an awesome fishery. He said it is from them draining the lake so far down. I don't know if I buy it. I know the basin is cold, but that cold??? Utah Lake is just as shallow and I don't ever remember the fish being affected that badly.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

That's a helluva blow. Maybe Pelican doesn't have the sub surface spring activity that Utah Lake does to keep the fish safe through the winter.

Hopefully, it was just where your friend was. :shock: 

I've never even been there, but I know that the warm water people hold it almost sacred.


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## fishnate (Sep 11, 2007)

It has some winter kill every year. Ironically, that is probably why the remaining fish are in such good shape. It thins out the excess population. Just have to wait and see how bad it was this year with the water being a bit low. We'll know for sure by mid April.


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## metal_fish (Mar 19, 2008)

My family is from Roosevelt (uinta basin). Never had been able to fish pelican though. I have always wanted too. I think it could be true, the basin is cold enough to kill any warm water species in low enough water.


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## Poo Pie (Nov 23, 2007)

I bet it will be fine. I've fished on the ice there for the past three years. Last year I went about this time, (I remember because I fell through!) I saw quite a few dead gills as well but I also caught a lot. Always get a trip in right around the middle of April and see quite a few winter killed fishes on the bottom, but still slay them. Hopefully this is the case. That's one of my fav. places.


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## Nibble Nuts (Sep 12, 2007)

Hmmm. I'm going to wait for some kind of confirmation before I get p!ssed about this. 8)


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

Has anyone heard more on this? Have only been there in the summer a few times, never in winter but I do remember it being an awesome fishery for nice gills and bass. I'd like to fish it again but if it has severely winterkilled, that'll certainly put a damper on those plans.


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## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

The fish and game did call my buddy back. They stated the ice conditions weren't safe to get out on, so they was going to have to wait until ice off to actually see the results. He said it is possible that there was winter kill, but it could also be due to how much pressure has been on it this winter combined with the catch and release w/ the cold weather/bad handling conditions. So I guess spring will tell, but I don't see Pelican being ruined, I just heard the rumor and was curious if any of you had heard the same thing.


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## tcb (Sep 26, 2007)

Actually, unless it freezes to the bottom, the temperature isn't what kills the fish. No matter how cold it gets, the water temp will still be 33 degrees. What kills fish in shallow lakes is heavy snow cover, where the sunlight cannot penetrate enough to keep plants producing oxygen. Eventually, the weakest individuals will die, and like was mentioned early, that sometimes results in an average larger size of the surviving fish, because there is more food to go around for the surviving fish.


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