Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes near Mankato
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 41 lakes within 25 miles of Mankato. Of those, 27 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.
Ida Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 156 yellow perch per gill net in the 2017 survey, and the biggest was 11 inches. Horseshoe Lake is second at A, with 54 yellow perch per gill net in the 2024 survey, and 6% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Elysian (Main 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 | Ida Lake | A | 138 | 156/net in gill nets | 26% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2017 |
| 2 | Horseshoe Lake | A | 417 | 54/net in gill nets | 6% | 11" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 3 | Elysian (Main Lake) | A | 2,215 | 24.2/net in gill nets | 8% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 4 | German Lake | A | 889 | 21.6/net in gill nets | 21% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 5 | Lura Lake | A− | 1,359 | 50.8/net in gill nets | 2% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 6 | Greenleaf Lake | A− | 302 | 74.7/net in gill nets | 4% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 7 | Upper Sakatah Lake | A− | 892 | 12.7/net in gill nets | 16% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2020 |
| 8 | Gorman Lake | A− | 521 | 13.8/net in gill nets | 42% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Madison Lake | A− | 1,447 | 14.2/net in gill nets | 3% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Dora Lake | B+ | 733 | 12/net in gill nets | 8% | 9" | 0.3 lb | 2015 |
Also ranked near Mankato: 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.