Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes near St. Paul
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 134 lakes within 25 miles of St. Paul. Of those, 31 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.
Centerville Lake is first at A−. The DNR caught 18 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 13 inches. Bald Eagle Lake is second at A−, with 24.2 yellow perch per gill net in the 2022 survey, and 2% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Clear Lake is third at A−, and its biggest yellow perch was 9 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 9" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centerville Lake | A− | 474 | 18/net in gill nets | 5% | 13" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Bald Eagle Lake | A− | 1,049 | 24.2/net in gill nets | 2% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2022 |
| 3 | Clear Lake | A− | 429 | 38.4/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 4 | Harriet Lake | B+ | 341 | 17.8/net in gill nets | 2% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 5 | Twin Lake | B | 217 | 9.8/net in gill nets | 1% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2018 |
| 6 | Big Marine Lake | B | 1,799 | 1.7/net in gill nets | 55% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 7 | Forest Lake | B | 2,271 | 14.8/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Nokomis Lake | B | 201 | 42.2/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 9 | Crystal Lake | B− | 293 | 4.8/net in gill nets | 7% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Upper Prior Lake | B− | 386 | 3.8/net in gill nets | 10% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked near St. Paul: Walleye · Northern pike · Muskellunge · 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.