Species
Yellow Perch
Perca flavescens · family Percidae
Live · updated
Late-winter and early-spring favorite. Schools up in tidal tributaries for the pre-spawn run in February and March, taking small minnows, shad darts, and small jigs. A classic Eastern Shore "neds" fishery.
Preferred conditions
- Water temp
- 45–70°F (ideal 58°F)
- Tide
- slack
- Moon
- either
- Depth
- 5–30 ft
- Active months
- Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec
Best yellow perch conditions today
Prettyboy Reservoir
Lake Koon
Lake Gordon
Piney Reservoir
Loch Raven Reservoir
Lums Pond State Park
Burke Lake Park
31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach)
Marquette Park Beach (Gary, Miller Beach)
Washington Park Beach (Michigan City)
Eleven Mile Reservoir
Cherry Creek Reservoir
Chatfield Reservoir
Horsetooth Reservoir
Boyd Lake
Flathead Lake
Canyon Ferry Lake
Boysen Reservoir
Lake Winnebago (Menominee Park, Oshkosh)
Lake McConaughy (Ogallala)
Spirit Lake
West Okoboji Lake
Lake Francis Case (Chamberlain)
Lake Sharpe (Pierre)
Lake Audubon
Connecticut River (Bellows Falls)
Lake of the Woods (Baudette)
Sturgeon Bay (Door County)
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain (Burlington)
Port Crescent State Park
Peninsula State Park (Nicolet Bay Beach)
Mille Lacs Lake
Leech Lake
Devils Lake (Grahams Island State Park)
Ludington State Park
Green Bay (Bay Beach, Green Bay)
Bay de Noc (Escanaba)
Choptank River — Cambridge
Deep Creek Lake
Conowingo Dam Tailrace
Jug Bay — Patuxent River
Betterton Beach
Fort Smallwood Park
Downs Park
Rock Hall Beach
North East Community Park
Louisa Lane Park (Charlestown Beach)
Dundee Creek Marina (Gunpowder Falls SP)
Miami Beach Park
Cox's Point Park
Rolph's Wharf
Detroit River (Wyandotte)
Saginaw Bay
Susquehanna Flats
Havre de Grace Fishing Pier
Oneida Lake
Cayuga Lake
Lake St. Clair (Metropark)
Selkirk Shores State Park
Sims Park Beach (Euclid)
Flying Point Park
Edgewater Beach (Cleveland)
Presque Isle State Park
Catawba Island State Park (Port Clinton)
No locations match that filter.
Regulations by jurisdiction
Maryland (tidal)
Stale: last verified 140 days ago.
tidal bay
- Min size
- 9"
- Creel
- 5
Chesapeake Bay tidal waters: 9-inch minimum, 5 per day, open year-round. Some tributaries have historically had emergency closures during the spring spawn — check the MDDNR site annually before the February–March run.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
Delaware (tidal)
Stale: last verified 140 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- 50
Delaware non-tidal waters: yellow perch is regulated as "panfish" in aggregate with white perch, crappie, bluegill, and pumpkinseed — 50 fish/day total, no more than 25 of any one species. No minimum size. Not listed separately in DE tidal creel table.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
Virginia (tidal — VMRC)
Stale: last verified 140 days ago.
tidal bay
- Min size
- 9"
- Creel
- 5
Virginia tidal waters (Chesapeake Bay tributaries): 9-inch minimum, 5 per day. Spawning-run tributaries (Pamunkey, Mattaponi, upper James, Rappahannock) are the primary fishery. Same size minimum as MD; creel identical.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
OH
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 30
Lake Erie: 30/day in the west zone (10 central, 20 east).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
PA
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 30
Lake Erie / Presque Isle: 30/day.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
Stale: last verified 12 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- 50
Pennsylvania inland: no minimum size; 50/day in the combined panfish group. Some Panfish-Enhancement waters set a minimum length.
Source · verified 2026-08-28
MN
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- 20
20/day (reduced on some lakes).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
NY
Stale: last verified 103 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- 50
50/day, no minimum size.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
Stale: last verified 98 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 50
Lake Ontario: 50 yellow perch/day, no minimum size.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
NTCO
Stale: last verified 100 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- 20
20/day east of the Continental Divide; unlimited west of the Divide.
Source · verified 2026-06-01
NTMTW
Stale: last verified 100 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- no daily limit
Yellow perch are not on Montana’s standard limit list — no daily or possession limit in the Western District. Confirm any water-specific exception before keeping a big catch.
Source · verified 2026-06-01
NTMTC
Stale: last verified 100 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- no daily limit
Yellow perch are not on Montana’s standard limit list — no daily or possession limit in the Central District. Confirm any water-specific exception before keeping a big catch.
Source · verified 2026-06-01
MI
Stale: last verified 98 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 25
Michigan Great Lakes: 25 yellow perch/day.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
WI
Stale: last verified 98 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 15
Wisconsin Great Lakes: 15 yellow perch/day (Lake Michigan; Green Bay zones may differ).
Source · verified 2026-06-03
NTND
Stale: last verified 98 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- no daily limit
North Dakota: no daily limit on yellow perch (35 in possession on Devils Lake and most waters — confirm).
Source · verified 2026-06-03
NTNE
Stale: last verified 98 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- no daily limit
Nebraska: no statewide daily limit on yellow perch.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
NTVT
Stale: last verified 98 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- no daily limit
Lake Champlain: no daily limit on yellow perch.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
NTIA
Stale: last verified 98 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- 25
Iowa: 25 yellow perch/day on the Mississippi River and most waters (Spirit Lake is a renowned jumbo-perch fishery).
Source · verified 2026-06-03
NTSD
Stale: last verified 98 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- 15
South Dakota: 15 yellow perch/day, 30 in possession.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
Maryland (non-tidal)
Stale: last verified 12 days ago.
non tidal
- Min size
- 9"
- Creel
- 5
Non-tidal rivers/streams: 9" minimum, 5/day, open year-round.
Source · verified 2026-08-28
Virginia (non-tidal — VDWR)
Stale: last verified 12 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- no daily limit
Virginia inland: no statewide size or daily limit (Lake Moomaw is 10/day). Open year-round.
Source · verified 2026-08-28
NTWY
Stale: last verified 12 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- 50
Wyoming statewide default: 50/day in combination with other panfish (crappie, bluegill, bullhead, etc.); no size limit. Some Area-4 waters designate yellow perch nongame — verify the drainage.
Source · verified 2026-08-28
IL
Stale: last verified 12 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 15
Lake Michigan (IL): no size limit, 15/day (combined across Lake Michigan, Calumet and Chicago rivers). Closed May 1–June 15.
Source · verified 2026-08-28
IN
Stale: last verified 12 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 15
Indiana waters of Lake Michigan: 15/day, no size limit, no closed season.
Source · verified 2026-08-28
NTWI
Stale: last verified 12 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- 25
Wisconsin inland: part of the 25/day statewide panfish bag (bluegill, perch, crappie combined); no general size limit. Winnebago system and Green Bay differ.
Source · verified 2026-08-28