Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes near St. Cloud
118 surveyed yellow perch lakes sit within 25 miles of St. Cloud; 37 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.
Horseshoe Lake leads at grade B+, with 16.5 yellow perch per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey and a 9-inch fish the biggest measured. Elk Lake is next at B+, 15.2 yellow perch per net in gill nets in its 2019 survey, 2% of the yellow perch netted over 9 inches. Somers Lake rounds out the top three at B, a 9-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 9" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Horseshoe Lake | B+ | 629 | 16.5/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Elk Lake | B+ | 357 | 15.2/net in gill nets | 2% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2019 |
| 3 | Somers Lake | B | 151 | 52.2/net in gill nets | 0% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Vails Lake | B | 161 | 36/net in gill nets | 0% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 5 | Clear Lake | B | 529 | 28.7/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 6 | Long Lake | B | 487 | 24.9/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Marie Lake | B | 146 | 37.4/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2019 |
| 8 | North Brown's Lake | B | 312 | 25.2/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 9 | Zumwalde Lake | B− | 128 | 9.5/net in gill nets | 3% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 10 | Knaus Lake | B− | 216 | 26.8/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
Also ranked near St. Cloud: Walleye · Northern pike · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth 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.