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Best yellow perch lakes in Iowa

163 Iowa waters hold yellow perch, 162 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. West Okoboji Lake — 135 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
2. Spirit Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites
3. East Okoboji Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 9 public access sites
4. DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
5. Five Island Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
6. Rice Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
7. Trumbull Lake — 4 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
8. Snyder Bend Lake — 11 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Rock Creek Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
10. Green Valley Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
11. Lost Grove Lake — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
12. Silver Lake (Palo Alto) — 6 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
13. Blue Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
14. Lake Belva Deer — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
15. Big Hollow Lake — 44 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Roberts Creek Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
17. South Twin Lake — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
18. Little River Watershed Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
19. Browns Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Ingham Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
21. West Swan Lake S.W.M.A. — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
22. Lake Geode — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
23. Lower Gar Lake — 6 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Hawthorn Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
25. West Lake (Osceola) — 15 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached

…plus 138 more Iowa waters holding yellow perch.

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When to fish yellow perch in Iowa

• 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 Iowa: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes

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