 One of the most frequently caught fish in Michigan, and certainly among the top choices for eating, is the yellow perch. Perch are widespread in our Great Lakes and inland waters. Perch travel in schools (groups of fish that swim together) and sometimes in very large numbers. Perch can often be caught all day long without ever moving the boat.
Perch spawn in the spring, moving into shallower water - sometimes only a few feet deep - and can be caught from piers, breakwalls and in cuts and canals and rivers off of the Great Lakes. Perch are popular with ice fishermen and can be caught at a wide range of depths, often quite shallow toward the end of ice-fishing season. Small tear drops tipped with insect larva (spikes, mousies or wax worms) or plain hooks with minnows are preferred ice-fishing baits.
Although perch tend to run small, with 7 or 8-inch fish considered keepers in many waters, they are capable of reaching twice that length. Good fishing for perch can be found out of numerous Lake Michigan ports, the Les Cheneaux Islands area of northern Lake Huron, Saginaw Bay, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. Inland lakes with notable perch fisheries include Gogebic, Independence, Burt, Hubbard, Crystal, Higgins and Elk.
Learn about better fishing waters for perch.
For more information on identifying characteristics for yellow perch see our fish ID page.
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