Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Blue Earth County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 12 lakes in Blue Earth County. The 8 ranked below are the ones that earn a grade on this site. Grades come from survey catch rates, fish size and trophy history, scored the same way for every lake on the live map.
Ida Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 156 yellow perch per gill net in the 2017 survey, and the biggest was 11 inches. Lura Lake is second at A−, with 50.8 yellow perch per gill net in the 2023 survey, and 2% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Madison Lake is third at A−, and its biggest yellow perch was 10 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 9" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ida Lake | A | 138 | 156/net in gill nets | 26% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2017 |
| 2 | Lura Lake | A− | 1,359 | 50.8/net in gill nets | 2% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 3 | Madison Lake | A− | 1,447 | 14.2/net in gill nets | 3% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Loon Lake | B+ | 809 | 6.3/net in gill nets | 24% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2022 |
| 5 | Mills Lake | B | 237 | 11.8/net in gill nets | 2% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2007 |
| 6 | Crystal Lake | B | 379 | 6.2/net in gill nets | 7% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 7 | Duck Lake | B− | 290 | 20.9/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Ballantyne Lake | C | 371 | 5.8/net in gill nets | 0% | 6" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked in Blue Earth County: Walleye · Northern pike · Largemouth bass · Crappie · Bluegill
All of Minnesota: Best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
Grades are based on Minnesota DNR survey data: how many fish the DNR caught (scaled by lake size), how many reached quality size, and the biggest fish measured. Each lake's page has the numbers behind its grade. The table shows each lake's most recent survey year.