Michigan Lake Depths

Panfish · perch family

Yellow perch

Perca flavescens · also called perch

Native to MichiganRecorded in 298 Michigan lakes and bays
Illustration of a yellow perch in side view
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph and not to scale.
Typical adult
4–10 in, 4–10 oz
Depth
Rarely deeper than 30 ft
Favors
Water of 66–70°F
Spawns
Spring, in gelatinous egg strings over plants and fallen trees
Eats
Insect larvae, crayfish, fish eggs and young fish
Michigan record
3 lb 12 oz, 21 in — Lake Independence, Marquette County, 1947

Where yellow perch have been recorded

298 of the 1,288 Michigan lakes on this site with fish records list yellow perch, across 73 counties, including 9 Great Lakes bays. Tap a dot to open that lake’s depth map.

Saginaw Bay, Bay CountyLake St. Clair, St. Clair CountyGrand Traverse Bay, Grand Traverse CountyBig Bay de Noc, Delta CountyLittle Bay de Noc, Delta CountyWildfowl Bay, Huron CountyLittle Traverse Bay, Emmet CountyHoughton Lake, Roscommon CountyTorch Lake, Antrim CountyBurt Lake, Cheboygan CountyLake Charlevoix, Charlevoix CountyMullett Lake, Cheboygan CountyBrest Bay, Monroe CountyLake Gogebic, Ontonagon CountyManistique Lake, Mackinac CountyBlack Lake, Cheboygan CountyHiggins Lake, Roscommon CountyCrystal Lake, Benzie CountyFletcher Pond, Alpena CountyHubbard Lake, Alcona CountyIndian Lake, Schoolcraft CountyTawas Bay, Iosco CountyGrand Lake, Presque Isle CountyLake Leelanau, Leelanau CountyLong Lake, Presque Isle CountyGlen Lake, Leelanau CountyHamlin Lake, Mason CountyLake Michigamme, Marquette CountyMuskegon Lake, Muskegon CountySouth Manistique Lake, Mackinac CountyDouglas Lake, Cheboygan CountyLong Lake, Grand Traverse CountyLake Skegemog, Kalkaska CountyGun Lake, Barry CountyLake Mitchell, Wexford CountyCrooked Lake, Emmet CountyPortage Lake, Manistee CountyMartiny Lake, Mecosta CountyGull Lake, Kalamazoo CountyOtsego Lake, Otsego CountyMilakokia Lake, Mackinac CountyBear Lake, Manistee CountyLake Margrethe, Crawford CountyLake Independence, Marquette CountyLake Macatawa, Ottawa CountyLake Bellaire, Antrim CountyIntermediate Lake, Antrim CountyColdwater Lake, Branch CountyTawas Lake, Iosco CountyVan Etten Lake, Iosco CountyLake Gratiot, Keweenaw CountyDevils Lake, Lenawee CountyBelleville Lake, Wayne CountyWest Twin Lake, Montmorency CountyCass Lake, Oakland CountySanford Lake, Midland CountyLake Cadillac, Wexford CountyCedar Lake, Alcona CountyDiamond Lake, Cass CountyPickerel Lake, Emmet CountyThousand Island Lake, Gogebic CountyKent Lake, Oakland CountyPerch Lake, Iron CountyFord Lake, Washtenaw CountyLake Fenton, Genesee CountyOrchard Lake, Oakland CountyAu Train Lake, Alger CountyEast Twin Lake, Montmorency CountyMarble Lake, Branch CountyLake Antoine, Dickinson CountyFremont Lake, Newaygo CountyHess Lake, Newaygo CountyCrystal Lake, Montcalm CountySilver Lake, Oceana CountyLake Medora, Keweenaw CountyPontiac Lake, Oakland CountyWalled Lake, Oakland CountyGrand Sable Lake, Alger CountySilver Lake, Grand Traverse CountyHagerman Lake, Iron CountyClark Lake, Jackson CountyFife Lake, Grand Traverse CountyLobdell Lake, Genesee CountyCisco Lake, Gogebic CountyWhitmore Lake, Livingston CountySunset Lake, Iron CountyOttawa Lake, Iron CountyStony Creek Lake, Macomb CountyDuck Lake, Calhoun CountyLake Orion, Oakland CountyWhitefish Lake, Montcalm CountyUnion Lake, Oakland CountyPalmer Lake, St. Joseph CountyLangford Lake, Gogebic CountyLittle Lake, Marquette CountyBeaufort Lake, Baraga CountyNawakwa Lake, Alger CountyNepessing Lake, Lapeer CountyGoose Lake, Marquette CountyIron Lake, Iron CountyEight Point Lake, Clare CountyJordan Lake, Barry CountyLoon Lake, Iosco CountyCraig Lake, Baraga CountyWabasis Lake, Kent CountyAvalon Lake, Montmorency CountySixmile Lake, Charlevoix CountyEagle Lake, Cass CountyRose Lake, Osceola CountyBass Lake, Grand Traverse CountyGoguac Lake, Calhoun CountyLong Lake, Ionia CountyGrass Lake, Jackson CountyMorrison Lake, Ionia CountyWiggins Lake, Gladwin CountyCable Lake, Iron CountyBoardman Lake, Grand Traverse CountyLake Chemung, Livingston CountyBear Lake, Kalkaska CountyTamarack Lake, Montcalm CountyMurray Lake, Kent CountyBirch Lake, Antrim CountyMatteson Lake, Branch CountyLong Lake, Barry CountyBodi Lake, Luce CountyBarton Pond, Washtenaw CountyMarion Lake, Gogebic CountyShavehead Lake, Cass CountyGravel Lake, Van Buren CountyLong Lake, Montmorency CountyBoyles Creek, Clare CountyColdwater Lake, Isabella CountyLake Esau, Presque Isle CountyPike Lake, Luce CountyPorter Lake, Iron CountyDonnell Lake, Cass CountyThompson Lake, Livingston CountyBaldwins Lake, Cass CountyWinslow Lake, Iron CountyDuck Lake, Oakland CountyFourmile Lake, Washtenaw CountyBankson Lake, Van Buren CountyAlgonquin Lake, Barry CountyWolverine Lake, Oakland CountyLoon Lake, Oakland CountyRush Lake, Montmorency CountyClear Lake, St. Joseph CountyPeach Lake, Ogemaw CountyRoss Lake, Gladwin CountyDickerson Lake, Montcalm CountyLily Lake, Clare CountyHalfmoon Lake, Washtenaw CountyLong Lake, Cass CountyMcCollum Lake, Oscoda CountyGourdneck Lake, Kalamazoo CountyEvans Lake, Lenawee CountyTwin Lake, Kalkaska CountySilver Lake, Washtenaw CountyTea Lake, Oscoda CountyLong Lake, Lapeer CountyWitch Lake, Marquette CountyLong Lake, St. Joseph CountyBirch Lake, Gogebic CountyLittlefield Lake, Isabella CountyWest Londo Lake, Iosco CountyClifford Lake, Montcalm CountyBills Lake, Newaygo CountyJewell Lake, Alcona CountyIndian Lake, Iron CountyParent Lake, Baraga CountyRainy Lake, Presque Isle CountyPratt Lake, Gladwin CountyJoslin Lake, Washtenaw CountyMurphy Lake, Tuscola CountyRifle Lake, Ogemaw CountyMaple Lake, Van Buren CountyLong Lake, Gogebic CountyRainbow Lake, Montcalm CountyLake of the Woods, Antrim CountyLong Lake, Oakland CountyBudd Lake, Clare CountyTurk Lake, Montcalm CountyLong Lake, Hillsdale CountyFish Lake, Marquette CountyBennett Lake, Livingston CountyBass Lake, Luce CountyHemlock Lake, Hillsdale CountyMack Lake, Oscoda CountyNichols Lake, Newaygo CountyHermansville Lake, Menominee CountyClear Lake, Montmorency CountyOcqueoc Lake, Presque Isle CountyLake George, Clare CountyGilead Lake, Branch CountyGooseneck Lake, Delta CountyClear Lake, Jackson CountyBig Lake, Otsego CountyEast Lake, Luce CountyBruin Lake, Washtenaw CountyJose Lake, Iosco CountyMiddle Lake, Barry CountyOpal Lake, Otsego CountyBald Eagle Lake, Oakland CountyWoodhull Lake, Oakland CountyColwell Lake, Schoolcraft CountyDevoe Lake, Ogemaw CountyHi-Land Lake, Livingston CountyHeron Lake, Oakland CountyArnold Lake, Clare CountyLake Emma, Presque Isle CountyHelen Lake, Marquette CountyCub Lake, Hillsdale CountyDerby Lake, Montcalm CountyCrooked Lake, Washtenaw CountyLittle Bear Lake, Otsego CountyBush Lake, Oakland CountyCarney Lake, Dickinson CountyLong Lake, Oakland CountyLittle Shag Lake, Marquette CountyLoon Lake, Lake CountyBrownlee Lake, Alcona CountyBig Fish Lake, Lapeer CountySaddlebag Lake, Cass CountyShell Lake, Leelanau CountyTyrone Lake, Livingston CountyClam Lake, Antrim CountyLittle Wolf Lake, Montmorency CountySelkirk Lake, Allegan CountyGrousehaven Lake, Ogemaw CountyArgo Pond, Washtenaw CountyCrooked Lake, Alcona CountyDiamond Lake, Mecosta CountyLake Lavine, Branch CountyCool Lake, Lake CountyScram Lake, Kent CountyRound Lake, Hillsdale CountyTownline Lake, Mecosta CountyLoon Lake, Oakland CountyShafer Lake, Van Buren CountyRunkle Lake, Iron CountyElk Lake, Gladwin CountyChain Lakes, Iosco CountyBig Chub Lake, Otsego CountyWabascon Lake, Calhoun CountyStony Lake, Kalamazoo CountyOtter Lake, Lapeer CountySugden Lake, Oakland CountyRoberts Lake, Cheboygan CountyClear Lake, Van Buren CountyHalf Moon Lake, Clare CountyIsland Lake, Ogemaw CountyTeal Lake, Alger CountyHalf Moon Lake, Muskegon CountyLake Minnawanna, Lapeer CountyLoon Lake, Presque Isle CountyHall Lake, Barry CountyLittle Long Lake, Clare CountyDavison Lake, Lapeer CountyBelas Lake, Cass CountySand Lake, Alger CountyBass Lake, Oscoda CountyPerch Lake, Marquette CountySaddlebag Lake, Barry CountyEnglewright Lake, Newaygo CountyCrooked Lake, Montmorency CountyPencil Lake, Otsego CountyGarnet Lake, Mackinac CountyBertha Lake, Clare CountyRainbow Lake, Lake CountyWalled Lake, Montmorency CountyCenter Lake, Osceola CountyCarpenter Lake, Hillsdale CountyHorseshoe Lake, Ogemaw CountyBush Lake, Ogemaw CountyPike Lake, Allegan CountyHomestead Lake, Luce CountySkidway Lake, Ogemaw CountyTownline Lake, Clare CountyJackson Lake, Montmorency CountyStewart Lake, Oakland CountyEagle Lake, Kalkaska CountyCochran Lake, Cheboygan CountyBig Trout Lake, Marquette CountyGarkinghouse Lake, Chippewa CountyMiddle Lake, Barry CountyGraham Lakes, Oakland CountySand Lakes, Grand Traverse CountyBlue Lake, Gladwin CountySilver Lake, Washtenaw CountyReid Lake, Alcona CountyTwin Lakes, Cheboygan CountyCedar Lake, Lapeer CountyPickerel Lake, Crawford CountyCrystal Lake, Montmorency CountyHopkins Lake, Shiawassee CountyOld Headquarters Lake, Luce CountySpring Mill Pond, Livingston CountyEcho Lake, Oscoda County

Recorded here Other lakes with fish records

How we know

  • 132lakes where an angler registered one (Master Angler)
  • 126lakes where a DNR fisheries survey netted them
  • 92lakes the DNR has stocked with this fish; 70 of them are listed on stocking alone, because these fish keep breeding once established

A lake can appear in more than one line. A lake that isn’t listed may still have them: records exist only where someone caught, netted or stocked them.

Inland lakes on this list run from 7 to 19,592 acres (median 219) and from 4 to 285 ft deep (median 40 ft).

When and how big yellow perch are caught

From 1,843 Master Angler entries, 1947–2025, from all Michigan waters including the Great Lakes. An entry needs a fish at least 14 in, so these describe big fish that anglers chose to register — where and when people fish, not how many fish a lake holds.

Entries by month

The busiest month is February (20% of entries); 38% come in December–February (lighter bars), mostly through the ice.

Size of registered fish

Half were 14.5 in or less, and 9 in 10 were under 15.4 in.

Method

Ice Fishing47%
Still Fishing34%
Spincasting10%
Trolling5%
Drift Fishing4%

Bait

Live bait (type not given)37%
Minnows and baitfish31%
Artificial lures10%
Other8%
Combination6%
Worms and crawlers5%

Share of entries that recorded a method (1,752) or a bait (1,472).

Lakes on this site with the most entries

  1. Saginaw Bay, Bay 246
  2. Lake Gogebic, Ontonagon 131
  3. Burt Lake, Cheboygan 113
  4. Hubbard Lake, Alcona 105
  5. Lake St. Clair, St. Clair 93
  6. Grand Traverse Bay, Grand Traverse 53
  7. Little Bay de Noc, Delta 50
  8. Long Lake, Grand Traverse 48
  9. Mullett Lake, Cheboygan 46
  10. Portage Lake, Manistee 38

Master Angler entries matched to each lake. A busy lake gets more entries; this is not a ranking of fishing quality.

Often found with

Share of these lakes that also list each fish.

How to recognize it

Two separate dorsal fins, yellow sides with about seven dark bars, and no canine teeth.

Don’t confuse it with

Walleye — A larger relative with a big cloudy eye, canine teeth, white tips on the lower tail, and no bold bars.

Life in a Michigan lake

The DNR calls perch the most frequently caught game fish in Michigan. They travel in schools near shore, move inshore to feed in the morning and evening, and rest on the bottom at night. They stay active all winter under the ice.

Perch are prolific, but crowding produces stunted fish that may never pass 6 inches. Males mature at about 3 years and females at 4.

Source: Michigan DNR species page.

Rules and eating

Check the rules before you keep fish. Each lake page shows the regulations that apply there, and the Michigan Fishing Guide is the official source. Before eating fish from a particular lake, check Michigan’s Eat Safe Fish guidelines.

All 298 lakes with yellow perch

Show every lake, by county

Alcona County 6

Brownlee Lake, Cedar Lake, Crooked Lake, Hubbard Lake, Jewell Lake, Reid Lake

Alger County 5

Au Train Lake, Grand Sable Lake, Nawakwa Lake, Sand Lake, Teal Lake

Allegan County 2

Pike Lake, Selkirk Lake

Alpena County 1

Fletcher Pond

Antrim County 6

Birch Lake, Clam Lake, Intermediate Lake, Lake Bellaire, Lake of the Woods, Torch Lake

Baraga County 3

Beaufort Lake, Craig Lake, Parent Lake

Barry County 8

Algonquin Lake, Gun Lake, Hall Lake, Jordan Lake, Long Lake, Middle Lake, Middle Lake, Saddlebag Lake

Bay County 1

Saginaw Bay

Benzie County 1

Crystal Lake

Branch County 5

Coldwater Lake, Gilead Lake, Lake Lavine, Marble Lake, Matteson Lake

Calhoun County 3

Duck Lake, Goguac Lake, Wabascon Lake

Cass County 8

Baldwins Lake, Belas Lake, Diamond Lake, Donnell Lake, Eagle Lake, Long Lake, Saddlebag Lake, Shavehead Lake

Charlevoix County 2

Lake Charlevoix, Sixmile Lake

Cheboygan County 7

Black Lake, Burt Lake, Cochran Lake, Douglas Lake, Mullett Lake, Roberts Lake, Twin Lakes

Chippewa County 1

Garkinghouse Lake

Clare County 10

Arnold Lake, Bertha Lake, Boyles Creek, Budd Lake, Eight Point Lake, Half Moon Lake, Lake George, Lily Lake, Little Long Lake, Townline Lake

Crawford County 2

Lake Margrethe, Pickerel Lake

Delta County 3

Big Bay de Noc, Gooseneck Lake, Little Bay de Noc

Dickinson County 2

Carney Lake, Lake Antoine

Emmet County 3

Crooked Lake, Little Traverse Bay, Pickerel Lake

Genesee County 2

Lake Fenton, Lobdell Lake

Gladwin County 5

Blue Lake, Elk Lake, Pratt Lake, Ross Lake, Wiggins Lake

Gogebic County 6

Birch Lake, Cisco Lake, Langford Lake, Long Lake, Marion Lake, Thousand Island Lake

Grand Traverse County 7

Bass Lake, Boardman Lake, Fife Lake, Grand Traverse Bay, Long Lake, Sand Lakes, Silver Lake

Hillsdale County 5

Carpenter Lake, Cub Lake, Hemlock Lake, Long Lake, Round Lake

Huron County 1

Wildfowl Bay

Ionia County 2

Long Lake, Morrison Lake

Iosco County 7

Chain Lakes, Jose Lake, Loon Lake, Tawas Bay, Tawas Lake, Van Etten Lake, West Londo Lake

Iron County 10

Cable Lake, Hagerman Lake, Indian Lake, Iron Lake, Ottawa Lake, Perch Lake, Porter Lake, Runkle Lake, Sunset Lake, Winslow Lake

Isabella County 2

Coldwater Lake, Littlefield Lake

Jackson County 3

Clark Lake, Clear Lake, Grass Lake

Kalamazoo County 3

Gourdneck Lake, Gull Lake, Stony Lake

Kalkaska County 4

Bear Lake, Eagle Lake, Lake Skegemog, Twin Lake

Kent County 3

Murray Lake, Scram Lake, Wabasis Lake

Keweenaw County 2

Lake Gratiot, Lake Medora

Lake County 3

Cool Lake, Loon Lake, Rainbow Lake

Lapeer County 7

Big Fish Lake, Cedar Lake, Davison Lake, Lake Minnawanna, Long Lake, Nepessing Lake, Otter Lake

Leelanau County 3

Glen Lake, Lake Leelanau, Shell Lake

Lenawee County 2

Devils Lake, Evans Lake

Livingston County 7

Bennett Lake, Hi-Land Lake, Lake Chemung, Spring Mill Pond, Thompson Lake, Tyrone Lake, Whitmore Lake

Luce County 6

Bass Lake, Bodi Lake, East Lake, Homestead Lake, Old Headquarters Lake, Pike Lake

Mackinac County 4

Garnet Lake, Manistique Lake, Milakokia Lake, South Manistique Lake

Macomb County 1

Stony Creek Lake

Manistee County 2

Bear Lake, Portage Lake

Marquette County 10

Big Trout Lake, Fish Lake, Goose Lake, Helen Lake, Lake Independence, Lake Michigamme, Little Lake, Little Shag Lake, Perch Lake, Witch Lake

Mason County 1

Hamlin Lake

Mecosta County 3

Diamond Lake, Martiny Lake, Townline Lake

Menominee County 1

Hermansville Lake

Midland County 1

Sanford Lake

Monroe County 1

Brest Bay

Montcalm County 8

Clifford Lake, Crystal Lake, Derby Lake, Dickerson Lake, Rainbow Lake, Tamarack Lake, Turk Lake, Whitefish Lake

Montmorency County 11

Avalon Lake, Clear Lake, Crooked Lake, Crystal Lake, East Twin Lake, Jackson Lake, Little Wolf Lake, Long Lake, Rush Lake, Walled Lake, West Twin Lake

Muskegon County 2

Half Moon Lake, Muskegon Lake

Newaygo County 5

Bills Lake, Englewright Lake, Fremont Lake, Hess Lake, Nichols Lake

Oakland County 20

Bald Eagle Lake, Bush Lake, Cass Lake, Duck Lake, Graham Lakes, Heron Lake, Kent Lake, Lake Orion, Long Lake, Long Lake, Loon Lake, Loon Lake, Orchard Lake, Pontiac Lake, Stewart Lake, Sugden Lake, Union Lake, Walled Lake, Wolverine Lake, Woodhull Lake

Oceana County 1

Silver Lake

Ogemaw County 8

Bush Lake, Devoe Lake, Grousehaven Lake, Horseshoe Lake, Island Lake, Peach Lake, Rifle Lake, Skidway Lake

Ontonagon County 1

Lake Gogebic

Osceola County 2

Center Lake, Rose Lake

Oscoda County 5

Bass Lake, Echo Lake, Mack Lake, McCollum Lake, Tea Lake

Otsego County 6

Big Chub Lake, Big Lake, Little Bear Lake, Opal Lake, Otsego Lake, Pencil Lake

Ottawa County 1

Lake Macatawa

Presque Isle County 7

Grand Lake, Lake Emma, Lake Esau, Long Lake, Loon Lake, Ocqueoc Lake, Rainy Lake

Roscommon County 2

Higgins Lake, Houghton Lake

Schoolcraft County 2

Colwell Lake, Indian Lake

Shiawassee County 1

Hopkins Lake

St. Clair County 1

Lake St. Clair

St. Joseph County 3

Clear Lake, Long Lake, Palmer Lake

Tuscola County 1

Murphy Lake

Van Buren County 5

Bankson Lake, Clear Lake, Gravel Lake, Maple Lake, Shafer Lake

Washtenaw County 10

Argo Pond, Barton Pond, Bruin Lake, Crooked Lake, Ford Lake, Fourmile Lake, Halfmoon Lake, Joslin Lake, Silver Lake, Silver Lake

Wayne County 1

Belleville Lake

Wexford County 2

Lake Cadillac, Lake Mitchell

Sources

← All fish of Michigan