Best yellow perch lakes in Wisconsin
42 Wisconsin waters hold yellow perch, 10 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.
- Lake Michigan — Green Bay North and Bays de Noc — 129 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Muskellunge
- Lake Michigan — Green Bay South — 128 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish
- Lake Michigan — Door County — 424 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Chinook Salmon
- Lake Winnebago — 21 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Lake Butte des Morts — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Lake Mendota — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Chippewa Flowage — 92 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Turtle-Flambeau Flowage — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Big Eau Pleine Reservoir — 46 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Big Green Lake — 236 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Trout Lake — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Muskellunge
- Lake Poygan — 11 ft max · Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Willow Flowage — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Lac Courte Oreilles — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Geneva Lake — 135 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Shawano Lake — 39.5 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Delavan Lake — 52 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Tomahawk Lake — 84 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Lake Puckaway — 5 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Big Muskellunge Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Two Sisters Lake — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Lake Monona — 74 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Pelican Lake — 39 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Round Lake — 74 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Pewaukee Lake — 45 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
…plus 17 more Wisconsin waters holding yellow perch.
When to fish yellow perch in Wisconsin
- 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 Wisconsin: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best lake whitefish lakes
Yellow Perch elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · New Hampshire · Montana · Wyoming · Massachusetts · Washington · North Dakota · Iowa · Indiana · Connecticut · Ohio · Utah · Colorado · South Dakota · New York · Delaware · Manitoba · Alberta · Vermont · Rhode Island · New Jersey