Minnesota · St. Louis County
Perch Lake Fishing guide
Perch Lake is a 344-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota, reaching 30 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 10.8 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 5 times, most recently in 2016, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets. That survey is 10 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers2.4per gill net19"Typical23"Biggest
Lengths measured · 23 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 23 fish
2016Lengths measured · 38 fish
2006Lengths measured · 18 fish
1997Largemouth bassFair numbers34.8per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical16"Biggest
Lengths measured · 47 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 47 fish
2016Lengths measured · 28 fish
2006Smallmouth bassJust a few3.8per hr (electrofishing)17"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 14 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 14 fish
2016Lengths measured · 41 fish
2006Lengths measured · 20 fish
1997Northern pikeGood numbers10.4per gill net20"Typical33"Biggest
Lengths measured · 98 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 98 fish
2016Lengths measured · 65 fish
2006Lengths measured · 57 fish
1997BluegillJust a few2.7per trap net4"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 43 fish
CrappieJust a few0.1per trap net9"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 11 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 11 fish
2016Lengths measured · 118 fish
2006Lengths measured · 7 fish
1997Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Perch Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 10.8 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 10.8 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 33" | 23" | 16" |
| 2006 | 28" | 21" | 16" |
| 1997 | 38" | 25" | — |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 1,445 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 1,955 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 1,275 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 2,715 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 1,275 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2016 survey
Perch Lake is located about 13 miles northwest of Chisholm, MN near and the Sturgeon chain of lakes. The 339 acre lake has 170 littoral acres, a maximum depth of 30 feet, with no inlets or outlets. The lake is heavily developed along the 3.3 mile shoreline. There is a DNR administered concrete boat access on the west side with parking available for about three rigs. The lake management plan was last updated in 2007. Walleye and Northern Pike are primary management species while Smallmouth Bass and Black Crappie are considered secondary management species. The 2016 assessment is one of seven summer assessments conducted since 1973, assessing the fish community, success of Walleye stocking, and the contribution from natural reproduction to the Walleye population. Pike River strain Walleye fingerlings have been stocked one in three years at a rate of one pound per littoral acre (170 pounds) since 2005.
Perch Lake supports a modest Walleye fishery maintained by limited natural reproduction and fingerling stocking. Walleye catches were about average compared to similar lakes. The catch was similar to previous assessments, although slightly lower than management goals. Lengths ranged from 11.1 to 23.4 inches with an average length of 19.2 inches. Analysis of ageing structures suggests ages 2, 4-8, 10 and 11 were present. Most of the aged fish correlate to stocked years (64%). Occasional fingerling stocking appears to contribute, however increased stocking would not likely increase the walleye population due to low lake productivity and fish community limitations that include high Northern Pike and poor Yellow Perch numbers. Growth was similar to the statewide average for all ages by age 2, and similar to what was observed in previous assessments. Walleye averaged 16.3 inches by age 5.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike populations typically exhibit poor growth when occurring at high densities. Northern Pike were sampled at a historically high rate in 2016, nearly double what would be expected for similar lakes. The catch was over double the management goal while the mean weight decreased. Lengths ranged from 14.6 to 33.2 inches and an average length of 20.3 inches. Scale and bone analysis identified ages 2-5, and 7 present. Age 3 was the most frequently sampled (45%), though ages 2 and 4 were also strong. Growth was similar to the statewide average for all ages and the last assessment. Northern Pike averaged 22.6 inches by age 4. Examination identified Neascus (parasitic black spot) on 12% of the sample (n=5). Anglers can help improve size structure by releasing pike over 22 inches.
Black Crappie catches were about average compared to similar lakes, although lower than the previous survey. The 10 fish sampled with gill nets had lengths from 4.2 to 10.7 inches. Scale analysis identified ages 2-5, and 7 present. Growth was similar to the statewide averages for all ages and the previous assessment. Black Crappie averaged 9.0 inches by age 5.
Electrofishing sampled Smallmouth Bass at the lowest rate since first being sampled in 1997 while Largemouth Bass were sampled at a rate nearly double the previous assessment. A quality size structure for both exists, providing good angler opportunities.
Bluegill were sampled for the first time in 2016. The numbers were low but the fish had better than average size structure. Age and growth were not assessed.
Other species sampled included Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Yellow Perch, and White Sucker.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Perch Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Perch Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Perch Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Perch Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Side Lake · 368 ac · 1.4 mi
- Pickerel Lake · 32 ac · 1.8 mi
- Little Sturgeon Lake · 272 ac · 2.7 mi
- Sturgeon Lake · 1,585 ac · 2.8 mi
- West Sturgeon Lake · 117 ac · 3.8 mi
- South Sturgeon Lake · 204 ac · 4.1 mi
- Beatrice Lake · 124 ac · 4.2 mi
- Shoe Pack Lake · 42 ac · 4.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Perch Lake?
Perch Lake reaches 30 ft at its deepest point; about 49% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Perch Lake?
Perch Lake covers 344 acres with about 3.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Perch Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Perch Lake average 10.8 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Perch Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2016) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Perch Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Perch Lake have a public access?
Yes. Perch Lake has one public access site: Perch Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Perch Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 33"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Perch Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Perch Lake in 2016, the most recent of 5 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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