Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes near Grand Rapids
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 207 lakes within 25 miles of Grand Rapids. Of those, 65 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.
Little Bowstring Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 116.5 yellow perch per gill net in the 2022 survey, and the biggest was 10 inches. Pokegama Lake is second at A, with 7.2 yellow perch per gill net in the 2024 survey, and 14% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Upper Panasa 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 | Little Bowstring Lake | A | 327 | 116.5/net in gill nets | 2% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2022 |
| 2 | Pokegama Lake | A | 6,721 | 7.2/net in gill nets | 14% | 11" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 3 | Upper Panasa Lake | A | 148 | 130.3/net in gill nets | 1% | 10" | — | 2014 |
| 4 | Deer Lake | A− | 4,094 | 10.5/net in gill nets | 13% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 5 | Moose Lake | A− | 1,273 | 37.5/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Bass Lake | A− | 2,715 | 7.1/net in gill nets | 10% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Island Lake | A− | 285 | 38.8/net in gill nets | 1% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 8 | King Lake | A− | 311 | 25/net in gill nets | 4% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2009 |
| 9 | Grave Lake | A− | 525 | 18.6/net in gill nets | 5% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 10 | Trout Lake | B+ | 1,862 | 9.5/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked near Grand Rapids: 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.