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Best yellow perch lakes in North Dakota

178 North Dakota waters list yellow perch (official records or labelled estimates), 174 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.

1. Lake Sakakawea — 220 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
2. Devils Lake — 55 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites
3. Lake Darling — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
4. Lake Ashtabula — 42 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
5. Stump Lake — 75 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
6. Jamestown Reservoir — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites
7. Dry Lake — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
8. Alkaline Lake — 23 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Missouri River — 31 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 8 public access sites
10. Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida) — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 11 public access sites
11. Lake Audubon — 59.4 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites
12. Mount Carmel Dam — 18 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Yellow PerchWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
13. Bowman-Haley Dam — 28 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
14. Twin Lakes — 40 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Antelope Lake — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Yellow PerchWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Powers Lake — 9 ft max · real survey depth contours · Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
17. Alkali Lake — 23 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
18. Reule Lake — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Pipestem Reservoir — 26 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Yellow PerchWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Lake Metigoshe — 23 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
21. Goose Lake — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Buffalo Lodge Lake — 12 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. West Lake Napoleon — 11 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Lake Josephine — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Yellow PerchWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Harvey Dam — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 153 more North Dakota waters holding yellow perch.

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When to fish yellow perch in North Dakota

• 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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