Bureau of Land Management · Utah
Pelican Lake Campground
Bureau of Land Management · Utah, United States
- Sites
- 13
- Hookups
- 4 with water, 13 no hookups
- Cost
- Campsite $10.00 Group Site $35.00
- Group sites
- Yes
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 4,820 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 3
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile weak · AT&T good · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Ouray Valley
- Nearest town
- Vernal
- Address
- Bureau of Land Management, Vernal Field Office , Vernal, UT, 84078
- Phone
- 435-781-4400
- Activities
- Birding, Boating, Camping, Fishing, Ice Fishing, Picnicking, Water Access, Water Activities, Wildlife Viewing
13 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
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
Pelican Lake Campground is located at 4,800 feet and has 11 individual campsites and two group sites. Pelican Lake is well known for the outstanding bluegill and bass fishing. Bird watching is also a popular pastime in the spring, when the waterfowl come to live and rear their downy young.
Recreation
Pelican Lake is well known for the outstanding bluegill and bass fishing. Bird watching is also a popular pastime in the spring.
Facilities
11 individual sites and two group sites are available. Sites include picnic tables and fire rings. Vault toilets are available within the campground community. Please bring your own water.
Campsites are first-come first-served.
Natural Features
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.
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.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 18° | 0° | 50° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 41° | 22° | -3° | 57° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 52° | 30° | 8° | 81° | 10 of 11 |
| April | 65° | 36° | 21° | 81° | 8 of 11 |
| May | 76° | 49° | 33° | 88° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 89° | 59° | 44° | 102° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 95° | 67° | 55° | 104° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 91° | 63° | 54° | 99° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 83° | 56° | 35° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 64° | 41° | 24° | 78° | 2 of 10 |
| November | 52° | 31° | 18° | 66° | 8 of 10 |
| December | 39° | 22° | 2° | 57° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Steinaker State Park · Utah State Parks · 25 mi · 29 sites
- Desolation Gray Canyons Screen Cabins · Bureau of Land Management · 27 mi · 4 sites
- Green River Campground · National Park Service · 29 mi · 81 sites
- Split Mountain Group Campground · National Park Service · 29 mi · 5 sites
- Red Fleet State Park · Utah State Parks · 31 mi · 26 sites
All public campgrounds in Utah · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-03-11. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.