Yellow Perch

About Yellow Perch

Yellow Perch are easy to identify once you know what to look for. They have an olive-green back, golden-yellow sides, and a series of dark vertical bars running down the body. They're a midsize panfish, part of the same family as Walleye, and most anglers consider a 1-pound perch a really good catch. Anything bigger than that is rare, even on Utah's best perch waters. The state record was caught in 1984 at Sevier Bridge Reservoir weighing 2 lbs 11 oz.

Yellow Perch start life eating zooplankton but graduate to larger insects and invertebrates as they grow. Eventually they become capable of consuming fry and minnows. The species can reproduce quickly and grow to large numbers once introduced into a habitat. They spawn in the spring laying their eggs in areas of dense vegetation. 

Perch have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Utah anglers. In the right numbers, they're some of the most fun, fast-action fishing available anywhere in the state. In the wrong numbers, they can overpopulate a lake, stunt out, and start competing with other species for food. That boom-and-bust tendency is part of what defines perch fishing in Utah.

History in Utah Waters

Yellow Perch are not native to Utah. They were introduced decades ago, and over the better part of a century they've worked their way into a long list of reservoirs and lakes around the state, both through planned stocking and, less happily, through illegal dumping by well-meaning but misguided anglers.

Deer Creek Reservoir carries the history here. Early on, Deer Creek's perch population exploded to the point where catching fish by the hundreds in a single outing wasn't unusual. Numbers have come back down significantly since, and Deer Creek now manages perch with a reduced daily limit, but it's still the water most old-timers point to as where Utah's perch obsession really started.

As Deer Creek's population settled down, anglers started finding perch in other reservoirs. Yuba Reservoir became known for genuinely huge perch. Pineview and Fish Lake built reputations for good numbers. Perch were not intentionally introduced into Starvation Reservoir but started showing up in significant numbers in about 2002. Now they are an abundant part of the reservoirs fishing ecosystem.  

Where to Find Them

Yellow Perch show up in a wide range of Utah reservoirs and lakes, tolerating everything from murky, low-elevation water to clear, high-elevation lakes. Good perch waters include:

• Fish Lake
• Yuba Reservoir
• Pineview Reservoir
• Rockport Reservoir
• Starvation Reservoir
• Deer Creek Reservoir
• Hyrum Reservoir
• Echo Reservoir
• Jordanelle Reservoir
• Newton Reservoir
• Gunnison Bend Reservoir
• Mantua Reservoir
• Utah Lake
• Willard Bay

I've had good luck with perch at a couple of these personally. Fish Lake conducts an annual Perch Tournament which remains one of my favorite ice fishing experiences. We found a stacked weed line in 12 to 17 feet of water and couldn't keep jigs in the water fast enough. More recently, we picked up a good number of perch at Starvation Reservoir around bridge pylons on the south end. I've caught my largest perch through the ice at Jordanelle and regularly run into them ice fishing at Pineview, Utah Lake and Mantua Reservoir.

How to Fish

Ice Fishing

Perch are a classic winter target in Utah, and for good reason. They school up tight and once you find them, the action can be nonstop. Look for weed lines and submerged structure, and don't be afraid to drill a series of holes to locate fish before you ever drop a line. A small jig tipped with a mealworm is a reliable producer. I have caught perch within feet of the bottom and I have caught perch suspended throughout the water column. They are sometimes found in the shallows and other times in 60 feet of water. I usually start by letting the presentation hit bottom and reel up a few turns at a time until I find them. Perch eye works as an effective, durable alternative to mealworms if you run through bait. It stays on the hook through multiple fish.

Open Water

In open water, target structure like rock piles, drop-offs, submerged vegetation or timber, and bridge pylons. Perch will bite lures and jigs (1/16 to 1/8-ounce) tipped with bait. A milworm, small piece of night crawler, perch eye or small piece of perch or sucker meat is hard to beat. Many perch are also caught incidentally by anglers trolling or casting for Walleye, Bass, or other species, since perch often share the same structure and depth. We have had fantastic success at Fish Lake sight fishing Perch off the weed edges around the lake. 

Fishing Regulations

Limits on Yellow Perch vary significantly by water. Some Utah fisheries have no bag limit at all, while others, like Deer Creek, manage a reduced limit to help control population swings. Always check the current Utah Fishing Guidebook for the specific water you're headed to before you go.

Planning a Perch Trip

Perch fishing is seasonal but forgiving. Ice season tends to be the most consistent, especially on waters with good weed growth, but open-water perch fishing from spring through fall can be just as productive once you find the right structure. Because many popular perch waters also hold Walleye, Bass, and other species, a perch trip is a great excuse to bring extra rods and see what else is biting. Some of my best mixed-bag days have started out as a perch trip and ended with a cooler full of several species.