Yellow perch Perca flavescens

How they feed

• Water45–70°F, best near 58°
• TideSlack water
• MoonEither
• DepthUsually 5–30 ft

Scored against their own temperature range and tide preference first, then wind, weather and warnings. Solunar periods only break ties. How the score works

Season by state

• MarylandFeb–Apr, Oct–Dec
• PennsylvaniaOct–May
• ColoradoOct–May
• MichiganMar–May, Oct–Dec
• New YorkMar–May, Oct–Jan
• MinnesotaApr–May, Oct–Nov
• OhioOct–Jun
• WisconsinMar–May, Oct–Dec
• IowaMar–May, Oct–Dec
• IndianaMar–Jun, Oct–Jan
• MontanaMar–Jun, Oct–Dec
• North DakotaApr–May, Oct–Nov
• South DakotaMar–May, Oct–Dec
• VermontMar–Jun, Sep–Jan
• DelawareFeb–Apr, Oct–Dec
• IllinoisMar–Jun, Oct–Dec
• NebraskaFeb–May, Oct–Dec
• VirginiaFeb–Apr, Oct–Dec
• WyomingFeb–May, Oct–Dec

The Maryland, Delaware and Virginia months are the Chesapeake-region season. Everywhere else it is carried over by water temperature: a month counts at a spot when its usual water is in the range that marks the mid-Atlantic season (38–66°F), from the spot’s own gauge where it has one and an estimate from air temperature where it doesn’t. Each state lists the months that hold at half or more of its spots. Where the water temperatures come from.

Keep or release

• Colorado non-tidal20 a dayColorado: 20 yellow perch a day east of the Continental Divide; unlimited west of it. Eleven Mile and Spinney have no perch limit.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Delaware tidal25 a dayDelaware non-tidal waters: yellow perch count as panfish with white perch, crappie, bluegill and pumpkinseed: 50 a day combined, no more than 25 of one species. No size limit.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Illinois15 a dayIllinois Lake Michigan, Calumet River and Chicago River combined: 15 a day, no minimum. Closed May 1–Jun 15.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Indiana15 a dayIndiana waters of Lake Michigan: 15 a day, no size limit.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Iowa non-tidal25 a dayIowa: 25 yellow perch a day, 50 in possession, no size limit (no limit on the Missouri River).Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Maryland non-tidal9" minimum · 5 a dayMaryland nontidal rivers and streams: 9" minimum, 5 a day (10 in possession). Nontidal lakes and ponds: no minimum size, 10 a day.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Maryland tidal9" minimum · 5 a dayMaryland Chesapeake Bay and tidal tributaries: 9" minimum, 5 a day (down from 10 in 2025), open all year.Tidal bay waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Michigan25 a dayMichigan: no size limit, 25 a day, open all year.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Minnesota20 a dayMinnesota: 20 yellow perch a day, 40 in possession, open all year.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Montana Central Districtno daily limitCentral District: yellow perch are not on the standard limit chart, so there is no daily or possession limit.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Montana Western Districtno daily limitWestern District: yellow perch are not on the standard limit chart, so there is no daily or possession limit.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Nebraska non-tidal15 a dayNebraska: panfish (crappie, yellow perch, rock bass and sunfish) are 15 a day in aggregate, 30 in possession, with no minimum length statewide. A few lakes add length rules.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 18, 2026 · source · 20 days since checked
• New York50 a dayLake Ontario: 50 yellow perch/day, no minimum size.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• New York50 a dayNew York statewide: 50 yellow perch a day, any size, open all year. Lake Champlain has no daily limit.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• North Dakota non-tidal20 a dayNorth Dakota (2026–28 proclamation): 20 yellow perch a day, 40 in possession.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Ohio30 a dayLake Erie west zone (about Toledo to Huron): 30 a day, no minimum, May 1, 2026–Apr 30, 2027. Central zone 10, east zone (Fairport Harbor to Conneaut) 20.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Pennsylvania7" minimum · 30 a day (Jan 1–Apr 30, Dec 1–Dec 31); 30 a day (May 1–Nov 30)Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay: 30 a day; 7" minimum Dec 1–Apr 30, no minimum May 1–Nov 30.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Pennsylvania50 a dayPennsylvania inland: no minimum size; 50/day in the combined panfish group. Some Panfish-Enhancement waters set a minimum length.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• South Dakota non-tidal15 a daySouth Dakota: 15 yellow perch a day, 30 in possession.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Vermont non-tidal50 a dayVermont: 50 panfish a day in total (no more than 25 crappie), no minimum on perch. Lake Champlain has no perch limit.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)no daily limitVirginia statewide: no daily or length limit for yellow or white perch (Lake Moomaw: 10 a day).Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Virginia tidal (VMRC)9" minimum · no daily limitVirginia tidal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay below the fall line: no yellow perch under 9". Virginia sets no daily limit for perch.Tidal bay waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Wisconsin5 a dayLake Michigan: 5 a day, no minimum, closed May 1–Jun 15.Great lakes waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Wisconsin non-tidal25 a dayWisconsin inland: 25 panfish a day in total (bluegill, pumpkinseed, sunfish, crappie and yellow perch), no minimum, open all year. The Winnebago System uses the same limit.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked
• Wyoming non-tidal50 a dayWyoming statewide: 50 a day of yellow perch, crappie, bluegill, other sunfish, bullhead, rock bass, stonecat and freshwater drum combined. Area 4 (Green River drainage) treats perch as nongame fish that must be killed.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source · 15 days since checked

Rules change, and they differ by state and often by water. Each spot page shows the limits for its own water. Yellow perch are fished at spots in 19 states: Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.