Perch Lake
Lincoln County, Minnesota246 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Perch Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 16 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Perch Lake in Lincoln County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 96.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16.2 ft. Surface area: 246.1 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 24, 2024 caught 5.75 walleye per gill net at Perch Lake. DNR survey details →
Perch Lake is a 246-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Lincoln County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 16 feet (6-foot average). The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Lincoln County, Perch Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Perch Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing12 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Perch Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). 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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.3 ft. Phosphorus 96.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 18.3 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 96.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 18.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Perch Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 24, 2024 caught 5.75 walleye 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
17 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-02 (Targeted Survey).
17 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-02 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fathead Minnow | 374.65 | 0.01 lb | |
| Black Bullhead | 344.65 | 7–16 in 2024-06-24 | 0.55 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 305.27 | 3–9 in 2024-06-24 | 0.25 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
From the 2025-09-02 survey
Perch Lake is located approximately 4 miles northwest of Ivanhoe in Lincoln County. It is a productive, 224-acre lake with a maximum depth of 18 feet. Perch Lake has a history of providing good walleye fishing. Numerous sizes of walleyes have been stocked over time. Many of the stockings have been evaluated with…
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
- —Fish Stocking History — PerchFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PerchPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
16.2 ft
Average depth
6 ft
Surface area
246 acres
Shoreline
3.9 mi
Littoral zone
73%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,667 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Perch Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Perch Lake in Lincoln 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Perch Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Perch Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Perch Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Perch Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN41-0067-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Perch Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Gene Panka FarmCanby · 3.4 mi away · NPDES MN0071862
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Lincoln County
Frequently asked questions about Perch Lake
Where is Perch Lake?
- Perch Lake is a lake in Lincoln 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 Lincoln County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 96.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16.2 ft. Surface area: 246.1 acres.
Is Perch Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Perch Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Perch Lake?
- Perch Lake has a maximum depth of 16.2 feet and an average depth of 6 feet. The lake covers 246.1 acres.
What fish are in Perch Lake?
- Fish species found in Perch Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, crappie, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, sunfish, walleye, white crappie, yellow perch. Perch Lake is located in Lincoln County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Perch Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 24, 2024 caught 5.75 walleye 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.
Can I fish at Perch Lake?
- Public access to Perch Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder