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Best yellow perch lakes in Indiana

84 Indiana waters list yellow perch (official records or labelled estimates), 77 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — 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 · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Chinook Salmon, Coho SalmonWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites, 7 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Monroe Lake — 54 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 10 public access sites
3. Morse Reservoir — 43 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, CrappieWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. Salamonie Lake — 45 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites
5. Lake Wawasee — 75 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
6. Lake Lemon — 27 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. Crooked Lake (Steuben) — 81 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
8. Bass Lake — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Lake Tippecanoe — 123 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
10. Sylvan Lake — 28 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Summit Lake — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
12. Hamilton Lake — 69 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
13. Worster Lake (Potato Creek) — 18 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
14. Winona Lake — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
15. Webster Lake — 40 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
16. Lake Manitou — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. George lake — 82 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
18. Lake Maxinkuckee — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Koontz Lake — 32 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, CrappieWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Kickapoo Lake — 39 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
21. Dogwood Lake (Glendale) — 20 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
22. Lake Gage — 68 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. The Backwaters — 6 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Oliver Lake — 90 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Shipshewana Lake — 17 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites

…plus 59 more Indiana waters holding yellow perch.

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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.

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