Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 16, 2025
Species recorded at Perch Lake
7 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Perch Lake
No stocking record for Perch Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Getting on the water
1 public boat landing is recorded on Perch Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
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
Common questions
What fish are in Perch Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 13.50 northern pike per gill net at Perch Lake. Minnesota DNR lists 7 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Perch Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Perch Lake is dated June 16, 2025. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Perch Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Perch Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Perch Lake fishes?
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.
Before you eat what you catch
Water-quality readings are not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class: a lake with clear, low-nutrient water can still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near Perch Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Perch Lake
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