Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Cook County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 220 lakes in Cook County. Of those, 44 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.
Clearwater Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 14.5 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 11 inches. Elbow Lake is second at A−, with 36.3 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and 7% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. White Pine 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 | Clearwater Lake | A | 1,344 | 14.5/net in gill nets | 31% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Elbow Lake | A− | 408 | 36.3/net in gill nets | 7% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | White Pine Lake | A− | 346 | 21/net in gill nets | 28% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2022 |
| 4 | Toohey Lake | A− | 370 | 16/net in gill nets | 54% | 12" | 0.4 lb | 2020 |
| 5 | Rice Lake | A− | 223 | 23/net in gill nets | 16% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2021 |
| 6 | Christine Lake | A− | 184 | 21.7/net in gill nets | 19% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Crocodile Lake | A− | 295 | 14.7/net in gill nets | 19% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2014 |
| 8 | Star Lake | B+ | 107 | 21.2/net in gill nets | 8% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2023 |
| 9 | Devil Track Lake | B+ | 1,876 | 3.5/net in gill nets | 29% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 10 | Greenwood Lake | B+ | 2,043 | 2.8/net in gill nets | 100% | 12" | 0.8 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked in Cook County: Walleye · Northern pike · 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.