Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Lincoln County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 12 lakes in Lincoln 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.
Hendricks Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 47.9 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 12 inches. Benton Lake is second at A, with 14.8 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and 27% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Popowski 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 | Hendricks Lake | A | 1,522 | 47.9/net in gill nets | 7% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Benton Lake | A | 2,700 | 14.8/net in gill nets | 27% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Popowski Lake | A | 143 | 113/net in gill nets | 16% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Shaokotan Lake | A− | 996 | 77.3/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Dead Coon (Main Lake) | A− | 547 | 15/net in gill nets | 80% | 11" | 0.5 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Perch Lake | A− | 246 | 66.6/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Stay Lake | B+ | 221 | 12/net in gill nets | 11% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Steep Bank Lake | B | 199 | 17/net in gill nets | 1% | 13" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
Also ranked in Lincoln County: Walleye · Northern pike
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.