Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
The DNR has surveyed yellow perch in 3,061 Minnesota lakes. Of those, 1,502 earn a grade on this site, and the top 25 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.
Cass Lake is first at A+. The DNR caught 49 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 13 inches. Mille Lacs Lake is second at A+, with 53 yellow perch per gill net in the 2025 survey, and 10% of its yellow perch measured over 9 inches. Pike Bay 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 | Cass Lake | A+ | 15,958 | 49/net in gill nets | 28% | 13" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Mille Lacs Lake | A+ | 128,250 | 53/net in gill nets | 10% | 14" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Pike Bay Lake | A+ | 4,756 | 81.6/net in gill nets | 21% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Iron Lake | A+ | 282 | 317/net in gill nets | 24% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Lake of the Woods | A+ | 725,583 | 17.7/net in gill nets | 2% | 13" | 0.4 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Vermilion Lake | A+ | 39,272 | 27.6/net in gill nets | 21% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Ann Lake | A+ | 370 | 180.3/net in gill nets | 9% | 12" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 8 | Sarah Lake | A+ | 1,209 | 84.2/net in gill nets | 14% | 12" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Long Lake | A+ | 620 | 182.5/net in gill nets | 2% | 12" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 10 | Traverse Lake | A+ | 10,849 | 23.5/net in gill nets | 23% | 12" | 0.4 lb | 2025 |
| 11 | Red (Upper Red) Lake | A+ | 119,294 | 14.1/net in gill nets | 5% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 12 | Corabelle Lake | A+ | 106 | 247/net in gill nets | 9% | 12" | 0.1 lb | 2021 |
| 13 | Big Stone Lake | A+ | 11,984 | 199.7/net in gill nets | 18% | 11" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 14 | Temperance Lake | A+ | 166 | 160/net in gill nets | 16% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 15 | Cottonwood Lake | A+ | 383 | 97.2/net in gill nets | 21% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 16 | Black Duck Lake | A+ | 1,250 | 56.7/net in gill nets | 12% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 17 | Big Kandiyohi Lake | A+ | 2,730 | 40.7/net in gill nets | 12% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 18 | Page Lake | A+ | 375 | 119.5/net in gill nets | 2% | 13" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 19 | Wolf Lake | A+ | 1,460 | 62/net in gill nets | 4% | 12" | 0.1 lb | 2016 |
| 20 | Winnibigoshish Lake | A+ | 56,471 | 9/net in gill nets | 3% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 21 | Island Lake | A+ | 3,108 | 67.9/net in gill nets | 6% | 11" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 22 | Pickeral Lake | A+ | 588 | 63/net in gill nets | 22% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2013 |
| 23 | Rainy Lake | A+ | 210,200 | 9.4/net in gill nets | 1% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 24 | Wakanda Lake | A+ | 1,760 | 68/net in gill nets | 19% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 25 | Ida Lake | A | 138 | 156/net in gill nets | 26% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2017 |
Also ranked statewide: Walleye · Northern pike · Muskellunge · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth bass · Crappie · Bluegill
Yellow perch by county: Aitkin · Anoka · Becker · Beltrami · Big Stone · Blue Earth · Carlton · Carver · Cass · Chisago · Clearwater · Cook · Cottonwood · Crow Wing · Douglas · Freeborn · Grant · Hennepin · Hubbard · Isanti · Itasca · Jackson · Kanabec · Kandiyohi · Lake · Le Sueur · Lincoln · Lyon · Mahnomen · Martin · McLeod · Meeker · Morrison · Murray · Nobles · Otter Tail · Pine · Polk · Pope · Ramsey · Rice · Scott · Sherburne · St. Louis · Stearns · Swift · Todd · Wadena · Washington · Wright
Yellow perch near a city: Minneapolis · St. Paul · Duluth · St. Cloud · Brainerd · Bemidji · Mankato · Grand Rapids · Alexandria · Willmar
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.