Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Itasca County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 321 lakes in Itasca County. Of those, 106 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.
Island Lake is first at A+. The DNR caught 67.9 yellow perch per gill net in the 2024 survey, and the biggest was 11 inches. Shallow Pond is second at A, with 62 yellow perch per gill net in the 2017 survey, and 28% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Jessie 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 | Island Lake | A+ | 3,108 | 67.9/net in gill nets | 6% | 11" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 2 | Shallow Pond | A | 225 | 62/net in gill nets | 28% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2017 |
| 3 | Jessie Lake | A | 1,740 | 75.4/net in gill nets | 3% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Little Bowstring Lake | A | 327 | 116.5/net in gill nets | 2% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2022 |
| 5 | Round Lake | A | 2,860 | 15.9/net in gill nets | 17% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Bowstring Lake | A | 9,528 | 7.8/net in gill nets | 10% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Pokegama Lake | A | 6,721 | 7.2/net in gill nets | 14% | 11" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 8 | Upper Panasa Lake | A | 148 | 130.3/net in gill nets | 1% | 10" | — | 2014 |
| 9 | Deer Lake | A− | 4,094 | 10.5/net in gill nets | 13% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 10 | Cut Foot Sioux Lake | A− | 2,771 | 22.1/net in gill nets | 2% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked in Itasca County: Walleye · Northern pike · 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.