Best yellow perch lakes in New Jersey
26 New Jersey waters hold yellow perch, 20 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.
- Spruce Run Reservoir — 76 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Hopatcong — 58 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
- Mercer County Park Lake — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Clinton Reservoir — 47 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Deal Lake — 9 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Cranberry Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow TroutWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Newton Lake — 11 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Hammonton Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Weequahic Lake — 9 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Greenwood Lake — 57 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
- Cozy Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Pemberton — 6 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Swartswood Lake — 42 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
- Deer Park Pond — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain PickerelWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Bargaintown Pond — 6 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Monksville Reservoir — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
- Lake Topanemus — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Shaws Mill Pond — 12 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Big Pine Lake — 7 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Sylvan Lake — 4 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Greenwich Lake — 33 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Mary Elmer Lake — 6 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Ocquittunk — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- West Pond — 34 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Budd Lake — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
…plus 1 more New Jersey waters holding yellow perch.
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How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See New Jersey waters with public access data
When to fish yellow perch in New Jersey
- 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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