Perch Lake
Becker County, Minnesota48 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Perch Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 38 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Perch Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 38 ft. Surface area: 47.65 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 13.50 northern pike per gill net at Perch Lake. DNR survey details →
Perch Lake is a 48-acre lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 38 feet. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Perch Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing7 species recorded
- Deep water38 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Perch Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Perch Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Perch Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14.5 ft. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Perch Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 13.50 northern pike per gill net at Perch Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Perch Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-16 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-16 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 89.36 | 8–11 in 2007-07-09 | 0.33 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 52.97 | 5–9 in 2025-06-16 | 0.16 lb |
| Bluegill | 35.40 | 2–9 in 2025-06-16 | 0.17 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.35 | 4–12 in 2025-06-16 | 0.41 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 3.55 | 12–13 in 2025-06-16 | 0.94 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 3.41 | 5–15 in 2025-06-16 | 0.51 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Black Crappie
From the 2025-06-16 survey
Perch Lake is a 40-acre, lightly developed lake about six miles northeast of Detroit Lakes. Although its watershed is heavily wooded, the lake has no outlet and its water quality is sensitive to any nutrient input. Water quality was sufficient to support stream trout during the 1960s, but water quality degraded by the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Perch Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PerchFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Perch (1021)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PerchPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
38 ft
Surface area
48 acres
Shoreline
1.7 mi
Littoral zone
34%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
8 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,434 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Perch LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Perch Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Perch Lake in Becker County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Perch Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Perch Lake
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Perch Lake
Where is Perch Lake?
- Perch Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Perch Lake?
- Perch Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 38 ft. Surface area: 47.65 acres.
Is Perch Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Perch Lake?
- Perch Lake has a maximum depth of 38 feet. The lake covers 47.65 acres.
What fish are in Perch Lake?
- Fish species found in Perch Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, yellow perch. Perch Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Perch Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 13.50 northern pike per gill net at Perch Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Perch Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Perch Lake?
- Perch Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Perch Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Perch Lake?
- Perch Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Perch Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA4 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory