Yellow Perch Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 1,434 Minnesota lakes · 197 in Michigan

Panfish like Yellow Perch are the workhorses of Minnesota recreational fishing — abundant, accessible, present in 1,631 surveyed lakes. Yellow Perch is widely distributed: 1,434 lakes in Minnesota and 197 in Michigan. That breadth means anglers across most of the coverage area can find a documented Yellow Perch lake within a reasonable drive.

Panfish species like Yellow Perch tolerate a wide range of water quality, so their presence in a lake says less about the lake than the absence of a game-fish would. Cross-reference the Yellow Perch lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Yellow Perch documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

1,434

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

480

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Yellow Perch Lakes Map

Every Minnesota lake with documented yellow perch, colored by water-quality grade.

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Best Yellow Perch Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Lobster Lake	Douglas	A	13 ft	65 ft
2	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.4 ft	65 ft
3	Clearwater Lake	Wright	A	9.8 ft	73 ft
4	Clearwater Lake	Crow Wing	A	13 ft	54 ft
5	Clearwater Lake	Clearwater	A	10 ft	65 ft
6	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.5 ft	100 ft
7	Latoka Lake	Douglas	A	19 ft	108 ft
8	Little Birch Lake	Todd	A	13 ft	89 ft
9	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	97 ft
10	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	A	25 ft	84 ft
11	Mud Lake	Becker	A	12.5 ft	34 ft
12	Big Lake	Beltrami	A	9.7 ft	35 ft
13	Big Lake	Carlton	A	10 ft	25 ft
14	Big Lake	Sherburne	A	13.6 ft	48 ft
15	Big Lake	St. Louis	A	8.2 ft	22 ft
16	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	A	16.5 ft	42 ft
17	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	55 ft
18	Pelican Lake	Crow Wing	A	14.3 ft	104 ft
19	Birch Lake	Cass	A	14 ft	45 ft
20	Round Lake	Aitkin	A	14.5 ft	125 ft
21	Round Lake	Crow Wing	A	13.5 ft	51 ft
22	Round Lake	Cook	A	16.5 ft	45 ft
23	Round Lake	Becker	A	10 ft	69 ft
24	Ada Lake	Cass	A	14 ft	60 ft
25	Pike Lake	Cook	A	17.4 ft	45 ft
26	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	14.4 ft	138 ft
27	Whitefish Lake	Beltrami	A	12.5 ft	30 ft
28	Horseshoe Lake	Crow Wing	A	14.4 ft	56 ft
29	Farm Lake	Lake	A	5.5 ft	56 ft
30	Washburn Lake	Cass	A	14.1 ft	111 ft
31	Long Lake	Kandiyohi	A	10.5 ft	46 ft
32	Long Lake	Clearwater	A	20.5 ft	80 ft
33	Long Lake	Cass	A	21.5 ft	115 ft
34	Long Lake	Beltrami	A	20 ft	87 ft
35	Long Lake	Otter Tail	A	12.3 ft	128 ft
36	Long Lake	Becker	A	19.5 ft	61 ft
37	Long Lake	Hubbard	A	11.2 ft	135 ft
38	Long Lake	Otter Tail	A	11.6 ft	73 ft
39	Long Lake	Itasca	A	16.7 ft	72 ft
40	Long Lake	Itasca	A	16.9 ft	85 ft
41	Dead Lake	Hubbard	A	16 ft	34 ft
42	Dead Lake	Otter Tail	A	10.2 ft	65 ft
43	Unnamed Lake	Sherburne	A	13 ft	43 ft
44	Maple Lake	Douglas	A	14.1 ft	78 ft
45	Maple Lake	Itasca	A	15.3 ft	39 ft
46	West Twin Lake	Crow Wing	A	13.3 ft	42 ft
47	Shallow Lake	Itasca	A	16.4 ft	85 ft
48	Shallow Lake	Hubbard	A	8.2 ft	10 ft
49	Trout Lake	Itasca	A	18 ft	157 ft
50	Trout Lake	Cook	A	18.4 ft	77 ft

Showing top 50 of 1,434 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have yellow perch?

Yellow Perch are found in 1,434 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota?

The best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Lobster Lake, East Fox Lake, Clearwater Lake, Clearwater Lake, Clearwater Lake.

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.