Fishing for Yellow Perch In Lakes

Yellow perch fishing in lakes can be good year round. These cousins of the walleye are sought for their good taste and they are usually easy to catch, even through the ice in winter. They do run up rivers and creeks to spawn but spend most of the year in lakes in fairly deep water.

Where To Find yellow perch in Lakes

Yellow perch tend to hold around weedbeds in fairly deep water. Deep is relative to the lake you fish and the thermocline in the summer time. Look for weeds off points and humps, and wood cover if there is no weeds in the same areas. In the spring the yellow perch move into shallows and go up streams and tributaries to spawn, so look for weeds and wood near the shoreline on the lake in creek mouths and up streams that enter the lake. In the summer fish the deepest weedbeds you can find.

In big lakes and rivers yellow perch often stack up below dams so go upstream until you get near the dam of the next lake upstream and look for them in the same ares.

Under the ice yellow perch will hold around old weeds in deep water. You can often find them with a depthfinder through the ice.

Baits To Use Fishing For yellow perch In Lakes

Yellow perch will eat just about anything. Earthworms, small minnows and grubs are good live baits. Small spoons, jigs, spinners and flies work well for artificials. Fish the baits near the bottom around weedbeds.

Tackle To Use Fishing For yellow perch In Lakes

Yellow perch are not strong fighters and don't get real big so light tackle is the way to go. Two to four pound test line on a ultra light spinning outfit will all you to get a decent fight and still land the fish. Light outfits also allow you to cast the small baits you need to use for these fish since they have a small mouth.