Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Lake County
258 surveyed yellow perch lakes sit in Lake County; 65 cleared this site's grade rubric, which reads DNR survey catch rates, size structure and trophy history the same way the live map does for every lake. The top 10 are ranked here.
West Chub Lake leads at grade A, with 165.7 yellow perch per net in gill nets in its 2022 survey and a 10-inch fish the biggest measured. Basswood Lake is next at A, 12.1 yellow perch per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey, 4% of the yellow perch netted over 9 inches. Cloquet Lake rounds out the top three at A−, a 12-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | 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 this site's rubric over Minnesota DNR survey data (catch per unit effort against DNR benchmarks, size structure, trophy history). See any lake's page for the underlying numbers. Survey years vary by lake; the table shows each lake's latest.