Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes near Alexandria
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 96 lakes within 25 miles of Alexandria. Of those, 52 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.
Ann Lake is first at A+. The DNR caught 180.3 yellow perch per gill net in the 2023 survey, and the biggest was 12 inches. Sauk Lake is second at A, with 151.6 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and 1% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Lake Minnewaska is third at A, and its biggest yellow perch was 11 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 9" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ann Lake | A+ | 370 | 180.3/net in gill nets | 9% | 12" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 2 | Sauk Lake | A | 2,126 | 151.6/net in gill nets | 1% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Lake Minnewaska | A | 8,050 | 10/net in gill nets | 12% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Maple Lake | A− | 388 | 124.3/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Smith Lake | A− | 666 | 68/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Gilbert Lake | A− | 202 | 34.8/net in gill nets | 30% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 7 | Little Sauk Lake | A− | 278 | 88.2/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 8 | Lake Reno | A− | 3,809 | 21.2/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 9 | Lake Miltona | A− | 5,731 | 12/net in gill nets | 1% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 10 | Lake Henry | A− | 152 | 63.7/net in gill nets | 2% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
Also ranked near Alexandria: 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.