Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Jackson County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 12 lakes in Jackson 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.
Round Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 34.6 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 12 inches. Rush Lake is second at A, with 58 yellow perch per gill net in the 2007 survey, and 49% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Heron (South Heron) 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 | Round Lake | A | 930 | 34.6/net in gill nets | 14% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Rush Lake | A | 243 | 58/net in gill nets | 49% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2007 |
| 3 | Heron (South Heron) Lake | A | 2,641 | 25.8/net in gill nets | 4% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 4 | Little Spirit Lake | B+ | 624 | 13.3/net in gill nets | 13% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 5 | Loon Lake | B | 708 | 3.3/net in gill nets | 38% | 11" | 0.4 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Fish Lake | B− | 297 | 19.7/net in gill nets | 0% | 6" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Pearl Lake | C | 117 | 1/net in gill nets | 67% | 10" | 0.4 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Timber Lake | C− | 191 | 4/net in gill nets | 0% | 7" | 0.1 lb | 2022 |
Also ranked in Jackson County: Walleye · Northern pike · Crappie
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.