Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Otter Tail County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 143 lakes in Otter Tail County. Of those, 51 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.
Otter Tail Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 24.7 yellow perch per gill net in the 2024 survey, and the biggest was 10 inches. North Turtle Lake is second at A, with 47 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and 4% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Little Pine 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 | Otter Tail Lake | A | 14,079 | 24.7/net in gill nets | 5% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 2 | North Turtle Lake | A | 1,773 | 47/net in gill nets | 4% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Little Pine Lake | A− | 2,080 | 25.6/net in gill nets | 3% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 4 | Big Pine Lake | A− | 4,728 | 21.2/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | West Battle Lake | A− | 5,615 | 10.3/net in gill nets | 2% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Clear Lake | A− | 399 | 41/net in gill nets | 5% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 7 | Marion Lake | A− | 1,624 | 12.9/net in gill nets | 2% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Ellingson Lake | A− | 151 | 32.5/net in gill nets | 13% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2006 |
| 9 | Rush Lake | A− | 5,276 | 5.2/net in gill nets | 5% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Star Lake | A− | 4,486 | 7.4/net in gill nets | 1% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked in Otter Tail County: Walleye · Northern pike · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth 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.