Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Lake County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 258 lakes in Lake County. Of those, 65 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.
West Chub Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 165.7 yellow perch per gill net in the 2022 survey, and the biggest was 10 inches. Basswood Lake is second at A, with 12.1 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and 4% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Cloquet Lake is third at A−, and its biggest yellow perch was 12 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 9" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Chub Lake | A | 115 | 165.7/net in gill nets | 8% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2022 |
| 2 | Basswood Lake | A | 25,953 | 12.1/net in gill nets | 4% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Cloquet Lake | A− | 176 | 27/net in gill nets | 64% | 12" | 0.4 lb | 2024 |
| 4 | Ninemile Lake | A− | 297 | 29.2/net in gill nets | 8% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2019 |
| 5 | Stewart Lake | A− | 238 | 41.3/net in gill nets | 8% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2022 |
| 6 | Highland Lake | A− | 111 | 36/net in gill nets | 11% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2021 |
| 7 | Perent Lake | A− | 1,598 | 9.2/net in gill nets | 33% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2019 |
| 8 | Bog Lake | A− | 259 | 18.8/net in gill nets | 34% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2010 |
| 9 | Whitefish Lake | A− | 346 | 16.5/net in gill nets | 10% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Moose Lake | A− | 180 | 22/net in gill nets | 20% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2014 |
Also ranked in Lake 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.