Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)

Photo by Quinn on iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

FishActive now (September)

Yellow perch

Perca flavescens

When
Sep–Jun — January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October, November, December. Earlier in the south, later in the north.
Where it holds
Weed edges, docks and sandy flats, always in schools.
How to know it
Golden-yellow with six to eight dark vertical bars and orange lower fins.
What to know
The best-eating panfish in the north and the mainstay of the ice season. Find one, find fifty.
The tactic
Small jig tipped with a minnow head, right on the bottom.

Seasons, size limits and catch limits change every year and differ by water body. Check the current regulations for your province or state before you fish.

Found in these regions

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Also active in September