Lakes / South Dakota / Codington County / Pelican Lake
Pelican Lake, Codington County, South Dakota
2,801.19 acres
Surface Area
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - South Dakota
44.87 degrees N, 97.18 degrees W - Codington County. State and county outlines drawn from Census boundary data; the lake marker is placed by its USGS National Hydrography Dataset coordinates, not by eye. Schematic - not a survey map.
How Pelican Lake Stacks Up
- Larger than 96% of the 533 lakes counted in South Dakota.
- About 4 miles from Watertown, as the crow flies.
Lakes Nearby
| Lake | County | Distance | Surface Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Kampeska | Codington | 4.2 mi | 5,066.63 acres |
| Goose Lake | Codington | 4.8 mi | 1,947.84 acres |
| Cottonwood Slough | Codington | 6.2 mi | 187.8 acres |
| Clear Lake | Hamlin | 7.1 mi | 705.73 acres |
| Serenity Lake | Codington | 7.5 mi | 94.22 acres |
| Smith Lake | Codington | 7.7 mi | 78.33 acres |
Straight-line distance between lake centers.
Facts and Figures
Questions About Pelican Lake
How Big Is Pelican Lake?
Pelican Lake covers 2,801.19 acres in Codington County, South Dakota.
What Is the Largest Lake in Codington County?
Lake Kampeska is the largest lake in Codington County, at 5,066.63 acres.
Largest Lakes in South Dakota
| # | Lake | County | Surface Area | Max Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Oahe | Dewey | 309,912.57 acres | - |
| 2 | Lake Francis Case | Charles Mix | 82,166.92 acres | - |
| 3 | Lake Sharpe | Hughes | 58,419.67 acres | - |
| 4 | Lewis and Clark Lake | Bon Homme | 25,141.99 acres | - |
| 5 | Lake Thompson | Kingsbury | 13,887.93 acres | - |
All 533 South Dakota lakes ranked by surface area
Sources: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (The National Map) lake data (ID 126757766). Verified October 30, 2026.