Species › North America · Freshwater › Yellow Perch

Freshwater · #15 most targeted in the US

Yellow Perch

Perca flavescens · perch, ringed perch, lake perch

Water temp
61–70°F
Peak season
Jan–Feb, Sep–Oct
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
4 lb 3 oz (1.91 kg)
Yellow Perch (D3149-1. yellow perch (Perca flavescens).jpg)

Photo: Robert Colletta · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Yellow perch are bright gold to brassy yellow with six to eight dark vertical bars down each side, two separate dorsal fins (the first spiny), and orange to red lower fins that intensify on spawning males. They have a slightly forked tail and a mouth with small teeth but no canines, which separates them from their larger cousin the walleye. Most perch are 6 to 10 inches; a "jumbo" is anything over 12 inches, and 14- to 15-inch fish are rare trophies.

The species is native to the northern US and Canada from Nova Scotia west to the Dakotas and south through the Great Lakes and upper Mississippi basins, with coastal populations in brackish estuaries from the Carolinas to Nova Scotia. It has been introduced widely, including to the West. Lake Erie, Lake Michigan's Green Bay, Lake Simcoe in Ontario and the big lakes of the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin are the premier fisheries. Perch like cool water of 60 to 70 F (16 to 21 C), clear to moderately turbid lakes with sand, gravel and weed edges, and they are among the most cold-tolerant of game fish.

Perch are schooling fish that feed by day on insects, zooplankton, small crustaceans, minnows and fish eggs, roaming weed edges, sand flats and mud basins in loose schools sorted by size. They do not feed at night, so perch fishing is a daytime sport. In spring they spawn in shallow weeds and brush right after ice-out, draping long, gelatinous egg strands over vegetation. Where walleye and perch share a lake, perch are the walleye's main food.

Yellow perch are the most important panfish of the north, filling buckets for ice anglers on Lake Erie, Devils Lake and Lake Simcoe, and drawing crowds to Great Lakes piers in spring and fall. Their sweet, firm, white fillets are considered by many the best-tasting fish in freshwater, and a Friday-night perch fry is an institution across the Great Lakes region.

Typical size6–10 in; 4–8 oz (0.1–0.25 kg)
Trophy12 in+ (about 1 lb); 14 in+ (1.5–2 lb) is exceptional
Table fareExcellent — sweet, firm white fillets; arguably the best-eating freshwater fish

How to catch

Spreader rig with minnowsThe Lake Erie standard: a wire spreader or two-hook crappie rig with a 1- to 2-ounce sinker and emerald shiners or small fatheads, dropped to the bottom and lifted an inch or two to keep the baits just off the mud. Anchor on a school marked on sonar and expect doubles.
Ice jigging with spoons and tungsten jigsSmall jigging spoons and tungsten jigs tipped with a minnow head, waxworm or spike worked 6 to 18 inches off bottom over flats and basins in 15 to 40 feet are the winter program. Pound the bottom to stir up silt, then hold the lure still; use electronics and move often, because perch schools roam.
Slip-bobber with a minnow or wormA small slip bobber set so a 1/32- to 1/16-ounce jig or a size 6 hook with a minnow or piece of nightcrawler hangs a foot off bottom along weed edges and drop-offs catches perch of all sizes from boats, piers and shore. Adjust depth until you find the school.
Drop-shot and small plasticsA drop-shot rig with a 1- to 2-inch soft plastic or a small tube on a light jig head lets you fish precisely at the depth of a school and cull larger fish by using slightly bigger baits. Shake it gently in place and set at any tap.
Drifting flatsIn summer on Winnebago, Simcoe and the Dakota lakes, drift across sand and mud flats in 10 to 25 feet with a two-hook rig or a small jig and minnow, watching the sonar for schools; when you find them, mark the spot and repeat the drift or anchor.
Pier fishing on the Great LakesIn spring and fall, perch move within casting range of Great Lakes piers and breakwalls. A perch rig or crappie rig with minnows or worms cast out and held with a 1-ounce sinker, or a small jig under a bobber, fills buckets at Lake Michigan and Lake Erie harbors.

Gear

Rod6'–7' light or ultralight spinning, fast action; 24"–32" light ice rod
Reel1000–2000 spinning; small inline or spinning ice reel
Line4–6 lb monofilament or fluorocarbon; 2–4 lb for ice jigging

Lures

Small jigging spoonTungsten ice jigMicro soft plastic (1–2 in)Small tube jigMarabou jigSpreader or crappie rigTiny blade bait

Baits

Emerald shiners or small minnowsWaxwormsSpikes (maggots)Nightcrawler piecesPerch eyes (where legal)

Regulations

A state fishing license is required and most states set a generous daily bag for perch, often 25 to 50, with reduced limits on Lake Erie and other heavily fished Great Lakes waters and no minimum size in most places; limits change by state and by lake, so check before filling a bucket.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 4 lb 3 oz (1.91 kg) — Bordentown, New Jersey, 1865 (Dr. C. C. Abbot); the oldest standing freshwater record. State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

What is the best bait for yellow perch?

Small live minnows, especially emerald shiners on the Great Lakes, are the top bait, followed by waxworms, spikes and pieces of nightcrawler. Perch are also attracted to the eyes of other perch, which anglers use where legal, and small tungsten jigs with a tiny soft plastic work well through the ice.

How do you catch jumbo perch instead of small ones?

Big perch often hold slightly deeper and apart from the main school and favor larger baits: a whole minnow instead of a head, a 2-inch plastic instead of a waxworm. Fish the edges and the bottom of the school, move when you catch only small fish, and target lakes with lots of forage and fewer perch, like Devils Lake and Lake Simcoe.

Do yellow perch bite at night?

Rarely. Perch are sight feeders that rely on daylight and go almost dormant after dark, which is the opposite of walleye. The best perch fishing is in full daylight, often mid-morning through mid-afternoon, and a bright day over a calm lake is no handicap.

What is the difference between a yellow perch and a walleye?

Both are in the perch family, but a walleye grows to 10 lb or more, has large glassy eyes, prominent canine teeth and an olive-gold body with mottled saddles, while a yellow perch rarely tops 1.5 lb and has bright gold sides with bold black vertical bars and no canine teeth. Walleye eat perch, and the two are often caught from the same spots.

Bite forecast — Yellow Perch

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Yellow Perch.

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