Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Clearwater County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 35 lakes in Clearwater County. Of those, 11 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.
Itasca Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 33.2 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 10 inches. Elk Lake is second at A, with 69.5 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and 5% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Pine 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 | Itasca Lake | A | 1,065 | 33.2/net in gill nets | 7% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Elk Lake | A | 303 | 69.5/net in gill nets | 5% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Pine Lake | A | 1,236 | 30.7/net in gill nets | 9% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 4 | Minerva Lake | A | 230 | 54.7/net in gill nets | 9% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2016 |
| 5 | Minnow Lake | A− | 110 | 41.7/net in gill nets | 15% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Big LaSalle Lake | B+ | 235 | 7.5/net in gill nets | 13% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 7 | Rockstad Lake | B | 142 | 18/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2014 |
| 8 | Long Lost Lake | B | 539 | 5.3/net in gill nets | 4% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 9 | Pickerel Lake | B | 143 | 4.5/net in gill nets | 18% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 10 | Long Lake | C+ | 159 | 1.5/net in gill nets | 42% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2022 |
Also ranked in Clearwater 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.