yellow perch Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 1,370 Minnesota lakes

Rough fish like yellow perch are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 1,370 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. yellow perch is widely distributed: 1,370 lakes in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. That breadth means anglers in most counties of either state can find a documented yellow perch lake within a reasonable drive.

Rough-fish-dominant lakes are worth checking the grade on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the yellow perch lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and yellow perch documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

1,370

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

442

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best yellow perch Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.1 ft	65 ft
2	Little Wabana Lake	Itasca	A	23.8 ft	57 ft
3	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	19 ft	100 ft
4	Latoka Lake	Douglas	A	19 ft	108 ft
5	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	A	25 ft	84 ft
6	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	A	17 ft	42 ft
7	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.1 ft	55 ft
8	Birch Lake	Unknown	A	15 ft	34 ft
9	Round Lake	Aitkin	A	15.3 ft	59 ft
10	Round Lake	Cook	A	16.5 ft	45 ft
11	Pike Lake	Cook	A	17.8 ft	45 ft
12	Pike Lake	St. Louis	A	18 ft	60 ft
13	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	138 ft
14	Horseshoe Lake	Cass	A	21 ft	51 ft
15	Long Lake	Clearwater	A	20 ft	80 ft
16	Long Lake	Cass	A	21.8 ft	115 ft
17	Long Lake	Beltrami	A	20 ft	87 ft
18	Long Lake	Becker	A	20 ft	61 ft
19	Long Lake	Cass	A	16.8 ft	37 ft
20	Long Lake	Itasca	A	16.7 ft	72 ft
21	Long Lake	Itasca	A	16.9 ft	85 ft
22	Dead Lake	Hubbard	A	16 ft	34 ft
23	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	A	15.1 ft	95 ft
24	Maple Lake	Itasca	A	15.3 ft	39 ft
25	Shallow Lake	Itasca	A	16.4 ft	85 ft
26	Trout Lake	Itasca	A	15.5 ft	135 ft
27	Trout Lake	Itasca	A	18 ft	157 ft
28	Trout Lake	Cook	A	19 ft	77 ft
29	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	A	15.1 ft	95 ft
30	Otter Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	64 ft
31	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	A	17 ft	52 ft
32	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	A	20 ft	63 ft
33	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	63 ft
34	Clear Lake	Aitkin	A	16 ft	24 ft
35	Clear Lake	Itasca	A	14.9 ft	30 ft
36	Bear Lake	Lake	A	17.4 ft	31 ft
37	Blue Lake	Hubbard	A	17.4 ft	84 ft
38	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	A	22.6 ft	46 ft
39	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	15 ft	55 ft
40	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	A	15 ft	81 ft
41	Ida Lake	Douglas	A	16.5 ft	106 ft
42	Star Lake	Crow Wing	A	19 ft	83 ft
43	Star Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.7 ft	94 ft
44	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	A	18 ft	76 ft
45	Partridge Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.2 ft	42 ft
46	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	A	17.8 ft	69 ft
47	Sand Lake	Cass	A	21 ft	54 ft
48	Roger Lake	Crow Wing	A	16 ft	64 ft
49	Square Lake	Washington	A	17 ft	68 ft
50	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	A	15.5 ft	60 ft

Showing top 50 of 1,370 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have yellow perch?

yellow perch are found in 1,370 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota?

The best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota by water quality are East Fox Lake, Little Wabana Lake, Lower Hay Lake, Latoka Lake, Bad Medicine Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.