Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Martin County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 19 lakes in Martin County. Of those, 15 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.
Temperance Lake is first at A+. The DNR caught 160 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 12 inches. Iowa Lake is second at A−, with 20 yellow perch per gill net in the 2023 survey, and 17% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Okamanpeedan 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 | Temperance Lake | A+ | 166 | 160/net in gill nets | 16% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Iowa Lake | A− | 705 | 20/net in gill nets | 17% | 9" | 0.3 lb | 2023 |
| 3 | Okamanpeedan Lake | A− | 2,268 | 8.3/net in gill nets | 73% | 10" | 0.5 lb | 2023 |
| 4 | Clear Lake | B+ | 267 | 13.7/net in gill nets | 29% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Hall Lake | B+ | 548 | 10.7/net in gill nets | 19% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2023 |
| 6 | Budd Lake | B+ | 228 | 24.7/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Willmert (main bay) Lake | B+ | 335 | 14.5/net in gill nets | 8% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2019 |
| 8 | Cedar Lake | B | 707 | 2.7/net in gill nets | 23% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2022 |
| 9 | East Chain Lake | B− | 481 | — | 25% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Perch Lake | B− | 174 | — | 25% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2014 |
Also ranked in Martin County: Walleye · Northern pike · Largemouth bass · 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.