Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes near Duluth
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 38 lakes within 25 miles of Duluth. Of those, 13 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.
Island Lake Reservoir is first at A. The DNR caught 8.6 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 11 inches. Grand Lake is second at A, with 13.8 yellow perch per gill net in the 2019 survey, and 34% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Fish Lake Flowage is third at A−, and its biggest yellow perch was 12 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 9" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Island Lake Reservoir | A | 8,001 | 8.6/net in gill nets | 27% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Grand Lake | A | 1,665 | 13.8/net in gill nets | 34% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2019 |
| 3 | Fish Lake Flowage | A− | 3,259 | 12.7/net in gill nets | 2% | 12" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Wild Rice Lake | A− | 2,372 | 8.5/net in gill nets | 10% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 5 | Boulder Lake | A− | 3,260 | 4.3/net in gill nets | 29% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Hay Lake | B− | 140 | 28.5/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2021 |
| 7 | Schultz Lake | C+ | 210 | 2.2/net in gill nets | 29% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2012 |
| 8 | Eagle Lake | C+ | 114 | — | 0% | 7" | 0.2 lb | 2016 |
| 9 | Pike Lake | C | 488 | 1.6/net in gill nets | 4% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2019 |
| 10 | Spring Lake | C | 98 | 2/net in gill nets | 30% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2008 |
Also ranked near Duluth: 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.