Best yellow perch lakes in Iowa
161 Iowa waters hold yellow perch, 161 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.
- West Okoboji Lake — 135 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Spirit Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- East Okoboji Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
- DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Five Island Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Rice Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Little River Watershed Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- West Swan Lake S.W.M.A. — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Silver Lake (Dickinson) — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- North Twin Lake — 11 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Trumbull Lake — 4 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Lost Island Lake — 12 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
- Snyder Bend Lake — 11 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Rock Creek Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Green Valley Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Lost Grove Lake — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Lake Darling — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Carter Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Silver Lake (Palo Alto) — 6 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Blue Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Lake Belva Deer — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Summit Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Big Hollow Lake — 44 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Roberts Creek Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Easter Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
…plus 136 more Iowa waters holding yellow perch.
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
Yellow Perch elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · New Hampshire · Montana · Wyoming · Massachusetts · Washington · North Dakota · Indiana · Connecticut · Ohio · Utah · Colorado · South Dakota · New York · Wisconsin · Delaware · Manitoba · Alberta · Vermont · Rhode Island · New Jersey