Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in St. Louis County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 377 lakes in St. Louis County. Of those, 131 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.
Vermilion Lake is first at A+. The DNR caught 27.6 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 12 inches. Black Duck Lake is second at A+, with 56.7 yellow perch per gill net in the 2023 survey, and 12% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Rainy Lake is third at A+, and its biggest yellow perch was 12 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 9" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermilion Lake | A+ | 39,272 | 27.6/net in gill nets | 21% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Black Duck Lake | A+ | 1,250 | 56.7/net in gill nets | 12% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 3 | Rainy Lake | A+ | 210,200 | 9.4/net in gill nets | 1% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Pelican Lake | A | 11,546 | 14.9/net in gill nets | 4% | 12" | 0.1 lb | 2022 |
| 5 | Shagawa Lake | A | 2,345 | 33.9/net in gill nets | 7% | 12" | 0.1 lb | 2022 |
| 6 | Kabetogama Lake | A | 24,034 | 12.1/net in gill nets | 1% | 13" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Ash Lake | A | 690 | 86.7/net in gill nets | 3% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 8 | Cadotte Lake | A | 294 | 39.2/net in gill nets | 14% | 14" | 0.2 lb | 2020 |
| 9 | Moose Lake | A | 228 | 39.1/net in gill nets | 56% | 12" | 0.4 lb | 2019 |
| 10 | Dovre Lake | A | 116 | 59.2/net in gill nets | 39% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2011 |
Also ranked in St. Louis 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.