Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Kanabec County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 11 lakes in Kanabec County. The 6 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.
Knife Lake is first at A−. The DNR caught 14.2 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 10 inches. Ann Lake is second at B+, with 16.2 yellow perch per gill net in the 2021 survey, and 1% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Lewis Lake is third at B, and its biggest yellow perch was 9 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 9" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knife Lake | A− | 1,259 | 14.2/net in gill nets | 10% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Ann Lake | B+ | 654 | 16.2/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2021 |
| 3 | Lewis Lake | B | 179 | 17.6/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2022 |
| 4 | Fish Lake | B | 506 | 5/net in gill nets | 36% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Quamba Lake | C+ | 226 | 15.8/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Eleven Lake | C+ | 315 | 12.2/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
Also ranked in Kanabec 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.