Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Meeker County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 31 lakes in Meeker County. Of those, 17 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.
Thompson Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 110 yellow perch per gill net in the 2013 survey, and the biggest was 9 inches. Long Lake is second at A−, with 13.7 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and 10% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Dunns Lake is third at B, and its biggest yellow perch was 8 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 9" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thompson Lake | A | 226 | 110/net in gill nets | 4% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2013 |
| 2 | Long Lake | A− | 783 | 13.7/net in gill nets | 10% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Dunns Lake | B | 152 | 274.3/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | — | 2024 |
| 4 | Jennie Lake | B | 1,069 | 14.1/net in gill nets | 0% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 5 | Clear Lake | B | 529 | 28.7/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 6 | Wolf Lake | B | 262 | 42.7/net in gill nets | 0% | 7" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 7 | Big Swan Lake | B− | 684 | 4.2/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Richardson Lake | B− | 119 | 34/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 9 | Belle Lake | B− | 864 | 10.7/net in gill nets | 0% | 7" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Washington Lake | C+ | 2,438 | 3.2/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked in Meeker 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.