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Best yellow perch lakes in Indiana

17 Indiana waters hold yellow perch, 11 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The premier eating panfish. Roams soft-bottom flats and weed edges in schools — a daytime biter.

1. Lake Michigan — Illinois and Indiana Shore — 258 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon
2. Lake Wawasee — 75 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
3. Crooked Lake (Steuben) — 81 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
4. Bass Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
5. Lake Tippecanoe — 123 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
6. Lake Maxinkuckee — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
7. Hamilton Lake — 69 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
8. Winona Lake — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
9. Big Chapman Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
10. Dewart Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
11. Oliver Lake — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
12. Lake James — 86 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
13. Pretty Lake — 82 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
14. Clear Lake (Steuben) — 108 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
15. Snow Lake — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
16. Lake Gage — 68 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
17. Shipshewana Lake — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish

When to fish yellow perch in Indiana

• Spring 3–12 ft — Spawning runs to shallow weeds and gravel — find the school, stay on it.
• Summer 10–30 ft — Schools slide deeper to soft-bottom flats and deep weedlines.
• Fall 12–35 ft — Jumbo perch pod up on deep basin flats feeding on invertebrates.
• Winter 15–35 ft — A premier ice-fishing target — deep mud flats, small jigs.

Also in Indiana: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best rock bass lakes

Yellow Perch elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · New Hampshire · Montana · Wyoming · Massachusetts · Washington · North Dakota · Iowa · Connecticut · Ohio · Utah · Colorado · South Dakota · New York · Wisconsin · Delaware · Manitoba · Alberta · Vermont · Rhode Island · New Jersey