Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes near Mankato
41 surveyed yellow perch lakes sit within 25 miles of Mankato; 27 cleared this site's grade rubric, which reads DNR survey catch rates, size structure and trophy history the same way the live map does for every lake. The top 10 are ranked here.
Ida Lake leads at grade A, with 156 yellow perch per net in gill nets in its 2017 survey and a 11-inch fish the biggest measured. Horseshoe Lake is next at A, 54 yellow perch per net in gill nets in its 2024 survey, 6% of the yellow perch netted over 9 inches. Elysian (Main Lake) rounds out the top three at A, a 10-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | 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 this site's rubric over Minnesota DNR survey data (catch per unit effort against DNR benchmarks, size structure, trophy history). See any lake's page for the underlying numbers. Survey years vary by lake; the table shows each lake's latest.