Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Washington County
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 31 lakes in Washington County. The 6 ranked below are the ones that earn a grade on this site. Grades come from survey catch rates, fish size and trophy history, scored the same way for every lake on the live map.
Clear Lake is first at A−. The DNR caught 38.4 yellow perch per gill net in the 2024 survey, and the biggest was 9 inches. Big Marine Lake is second at B, with 1.7 yellow perch per gill net in the 2024 survey, and 55% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Forest Lake is third at B, and its biggest yellow perch was 8 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 9" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clear Lake | A− | 429 | 38.4/net in gill nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 2 | Big Marine Lake | B | 1,799 | 1.7/net in gill nets | 55% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 3 | Forest Lake | B | 2,271 | 14.8/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Square Lake | C | 203 | 1.2/net in gill nets | 50% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2016 |
| 5 | DeMontreville Lake | C | 157 | 6.4/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2019 |
| 6 | White Bear Lake | C− | 2,428 | 1.4/net in gill nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
Also ranked in Washington County: Walleye · Northern pike · 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.