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Best yellow perch lakes in Wisconsin

4075 Wisconsin waters list yellow perch (official records or labelled estimates), 159 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 Michigan — Green Bay North and Bays de Noc — 129 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, MuskellungeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites
2. Lake Michigan — Green Bay South — 128 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel CatfishWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 27 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Lake Michigan — Door County — 424 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Chinook SalmonWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 15 public access sites
4. Lake Winnebago — 21 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 26 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Lake Pepin — 50 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
6. Lake Butte des Morts — 8 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
7. Chippewa Flowage — 92 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
8. Turtle-Flambeau Flowage — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites
9. Lake Mendota — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 17 public access sites, 5 carry-in or shore-oriented
10. Big Eau Pleine Reservoir — 46 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 15 public access sites
11. Castle Rock Lake — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
12. Big Green Lake — 236 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
13. Lac Vieux Desert Lake — 38 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
14. Beaver Dam Lake — 7 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 9 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
15. Lake Poygan — 11 ft max · Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 14 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
16. Long Lake — 74 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
17. Buffalo Lake — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
18. Trout Lake — 110 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, MuskellungeWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
19. Willow Flowage — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites
20. Lac Courte Oreilles — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
21. Geneva Lake — 135 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 8 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
22. Holcombe Flowage — 62 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 10 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
23. Sinissippi Lake (Hustisford) — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
24. Lake Owen — 95 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
25. Shawano Lake — 39.5 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 12 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented

…plus 4050 more Wisconsin waters holding yellow perch.

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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.

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