Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes near Willmar
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 39 lakes within 25 miles of Willmar. 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.
Big Kandiyohi Lake is first at A+. The DNR caught 40.7 yellow perch per gill net in the 2024 survey, and the biggest was 12 inches. Wakanda Lake is second at A+, with 68 yellow perch per gill net in the 2024 survey, and 19% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Lillian 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 | Big Kandiyohi Lake | A+ | 2,730 | 40.7/net in gill nets | 12% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 2 | Wakanda Lake | A+ | 1,760 | 68/net in gill nets | 19% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 3 | Lillian Lake | A | 1,151 | 38.3/net in gill nets | 3% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2021 |
| 4 | Thompson Lake | A | 226 | 110/net in gill nets | 4% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2013 |
| 5 | Elizabeth (Main Lake) | A− | 1,024 | 43/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Long Lake | A− | 783 | 13.7/net in gill nets | 10% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Green Lake | B+ | 5,569 | 5.8/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Minnetaga Lake | B+ | 791 | 4.3/net in gill nets | 42% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2021 |
| 9 | Calhoun Lake | B+ | 647 | 5/net in gill nets | 54% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2023 |
| 10 | Koronis (main lake) | B+ | 2,968 | 38.3/net in gill nets | 0% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked near Willmar: Walleye · Northern pike · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth bass
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.