Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in McLeod County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 11 lakes in McLeod 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.
Marion Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 96.3 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 11 inches. Swan Lake is second at B+, with 19.1 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and 2% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Hook 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 | Marion Lake | A | 520 | 96.3/net in gill nets | 3% | 11" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Swan Lake | B+ | 352 | 19.1/net in gill nets | 2% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Hook Lake | B+ | 330 | 14.8/net in gill nets | 22% | 9" | 0.3 lb | 2019 |
| 4 | Silver Lake | B | 453 | — | 43% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 5 | Todd Lake | C+ | 214 | — | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Winsted Lake | C+ | 382 | 11.6/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2021 |
| 7 | Cedar Lake | C+ | 1,860 | 1.4/net in gill nets | 2% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2018 |
| 8 | Otter Lake | C+ | 642 | 1.3/net in gill nets | 29% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked in McLeod 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.