Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Cass County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 188 lakes in Cass County. Of those, 62 earn a grade on this site, and the top 10 are ranked below. Grades come from survey catch rates, fish size and trophy history, scored the same way for every lake on the live map.
Pike Bay Lake is first at A+. The DNR caught 81.6 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 12 inches. Winnibigoshish Lake is second at A+, with 9 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and 3% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Woman Lake is third at A, and its biggest yellow perch was 11 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 9" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pike Bay Lake | A+ | 4,756 | 81.6/net in gill nets | 21% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Winnibigoshish Lake | A+ | 56,471 | 9/net in gill nets | 3% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Woman Lake | A | 5,520 | 24.5/net in gill nets | 3% | 11" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Gull Lake | A | 10,010 | 10.4/net in gill nets | 3% | 11" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Six Mile Lake | A | 1,323 | 18/net in gill nets | 8% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Portage Lake | A | 1,539 | 92.9/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2021 |
| 7 | Middle Sucker Lake | A− | 286 | 65.5/net in gill nets | 6% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2021 |
| 8 | Steamboat Lake | A− | 1,756 | 11.7/net in gill nets | 5% | 12" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 9 | Little Boy Lake | A− | 1,452 | 15.8/net in gill nets | 1% | 11" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 10 | Ten Mile Lake | A− | 5,080 | 5.3/net in gill nets | 7% | 11" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
Also ranked in Cass County: Walleye · Northern pike · Muskellunge · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth 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.