Best yellow perch lakes in New Jersey
33 New Jersey waters list yellow perch (official records or labelled estimates), 29 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — 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 · real survey depth contours · 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 · real survey depth contours · 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 · real survey depth contours · 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 · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Cranberry Lake — 16 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Newton Lake — 11 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Hammonton Lake — 10 ft max · real survey depth contours · 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 · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Cozy Lake — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- White Lake — 46 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Pemberton — 6 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Deer Park Pond — 10 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain PickerelWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Bargaintown Pond — 6 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Topanemus — 8 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Green Turtle Lake — 21 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Shaws Mill Pond — 12 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Big Pine Lake — 7 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Pohatcong Lake — 7 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain PickerelWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Mill Pond — 6 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain PickerelWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Sylvan Lake — 4 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Greenwich Lake — 33 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Mary Elmer Lake — 6 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Silver Lake — 8 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain PickerelWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Grenloch Lake — 7 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
…plus 8 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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