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Best yellow perch lakes in Montana

175 Montana waters hold yellow perch, 170 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. Fort Peck Lake — 220 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
2. Flathead Lake — 380 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Lake WhitefishWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
3. Tiber Reservoir — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Rainbow TroutWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
4. Canyon Ferry Reservoir — 130 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 9 public access sites
5. Hauser Lake — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
6. Swan Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
7. Whitefish Lake — 220 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
8. Lake Frances — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Lake McDonald — 162 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Brown Trout, Brook TroutWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
10. Mcgregor Lake — 220 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Little Bitterroot Lake — 260 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
12. Ashley Lake — 200 ft max · survey depth data · Yellow Perch, Kokanee, Cutthroat TroutWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
13. Seeley Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
14. Pishkun Reservoir — 78 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Brook TroutWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Bull Lake (Lincoln) — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Lindbergh Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Red Rock Lake, Upper — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Salmon Lake — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
19. Echo Lake (Flathead) — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Elk Lake (Beaverhead) — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
21. Nevada Reservoir — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Cutthroat TroutWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
22. Yellowtail Afterbay Reservoir — 46 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Sauger, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
23. Lake Helena — 12 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
24. Holland Lake — 140 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, KokaneeWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
25. Hubbart Reservoir — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Brook TroutWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached

…plus 150 more Montana waters holding yellow perch.

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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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