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Best yellow perch lakes in Ohio

62 Ohio waters list yellow perch (official records or labelled estimates), 60 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 Erie — Central Basin West — 77 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Channel CatfishWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 14 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Lake Erie — Central Basin East — 92 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Channel CatfishWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Lake Erie — Western Basin — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel CatfishWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
4. Lake Erie — Sandusky Bay — 19 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
5. Pymatuning Reservoir — 33 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
6. Muskingum River — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugeyeWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 26 public access sites, 9 carry-in or shore-oriented
7. Grand Lake St. Marys — 14 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
8. Maumee River — 20 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 32 public access sites, 18 carry-in or shore-oriented
9. Indian Lake — 13 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
10. Mosquito Creek Lake — 26 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
11. Portage Lakes (Turkeyfoot) — 61 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
12. Findlay 2 Reservoir — 27 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
13. Veto Lake — 15 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
14. Bresler Reservoir — 41 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Williams Reservoir — 54 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
16. Long Lake — 35 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
17. Chippewa Lake — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Willard Lake — 46 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Ohio Power Company Pond Mb-46 — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
20. Lost Creek Reservoir — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
21. Metzger Reservoir — 35 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
22. Turkey Creek Lake — 28 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
23. La Su An La Su An — 40 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
24. Adams Lake — 14 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
25. Fremont Reservoir — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached

…plus 37 more Ohio waters holding yellow perch.

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When to fish yellow perch in Ohio

• 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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