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Best yellow perch lakes in Montana

292 Montana waters hold yellow perch, 292 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. Flathead Lake — 380 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
2. Canyon Ferry Reservoir — 130 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
3. Hauser Lake — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
4. Swan Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
5. Tiber Reservoir — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout
6. Whitefish Lake — 220 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout
7. Lake Frances — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
8. Ashley Lake — 200 ft max · survey depth data · Yellow Perch, Kokanee, Cutthroat Trout
9. Red Rock Lake, Upper — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
10. Little Bitterroot Lake — 260 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
11. Mcgregor Lake — 220 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
12. Seeley Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
13. Salmon Lake — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
14. Pishkun Reservoir — 78 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout
15. Bull Lake (Lincoln) — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
16. Lake Helena — 12 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
17. Lindbergh Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout
18. Placid Lake — 93 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Brown Trout
19. Lake Mary Ronan — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout
20. Thompson Lake, Middle — 160 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
21. Echo Lake (Flathead) — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
22. Elk Lake (Beaverhead) — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
23. Thompson Lake, Upper — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
24. Dickey Lake (Lincoln) — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
25. Nevada Reservoir — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Cutthroat Trout

…plus 267 more Montana waters holding yellow perch.

When to fish yellow perch in Montana

• 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 Montana: 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 common carp lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best arctic grayling lakes · best cutthroat trout lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes

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