Best yellow perch lakes in Vermont
89 Vermont waters list yellow perch (official records or labelled estimates), 49 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.
- Lake Champlain — 392 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 15 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Lake Champlain — Inland Sea and Malletts Bay — 143 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Lake Champlain — South Lake — 29 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Moore Reservoir — 120 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
- Lake Champlain — Missisquoi Bay — 14 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Lake Bomoseen — 65 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Carmi — 33 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Dunmore — 106 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Crystal Lake — 106 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Hortonia — 58 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Lake Fairlee — 48 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Maidstone Lake — 117 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Groton — 36 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow PerchWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Chittenden Reservoir — 37 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow TroutWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Joe's Pond — 90 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Morey — 42 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, BluegillWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Salem — 67 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow TroutWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Island Pond — 59 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow TroutWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Lac Wallace — 60 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow TroutWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Peacham Pond — 59 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Iroquois — 37 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Echo Lake — 121 ft · Survey depth data · 0% measured · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- East Long Pond — 105 ft · Approximated contours · Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #23: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · no verified access record attached
- Lake Elligo — 101 ft · Survey depth data · 0% measured · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Derby — 20 ft · Survey depth data · 0% measured · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
…plus 64 more Vermont 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 Vermont waters with public access data
When to fish yellow perch in Vermont
- 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 Vermont: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best landlocked salmon lakes · best chain pickerel lakes · best burbot lakes · best brown bullhead lakes
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