How To Fish For Yellow Perch – Weather Conditions, Locations, Tackle

Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) are fish native to North America, to the tributaries of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, and can be found in both lakes and rivers. Although they’re not as popular as bass or walleye as sport fish, they’re still prized by recreational anglers and even commercial fishermen for their delicious flavor and the delights of the fishing.

Yellow perch are not too difficult to catch and they’re not too shy either. Maybe the most important aspect of their fishing is locating them; this pretty much requires a boat. And of course, a fish finder could considerably diminish the time spent looking for them.

Optimal Weather And Water Conditions For Yellow Perch Fishing

In terms of water temperature, yellow perch are the most active in a range of 55 to 70°F (12 – 21°C). Temperatures up to 77°F (25°C) can still produce fairly decent results when fishing for perch, but their stress limit is 79°F (26°C), so above 77°F they become lethargic, will feed less, and their fishing won’t be as productive.

Yellow perch can be caught throughout the day, but they’re most active at dusk and at dawn. Similar to walleye or other predatory fish, they are sight-based predators “equipped” with large eyes that give them an advantage over their prey, especially in low light conditions. Therefore, overcast days can produce super results when it comes to perch fishing.

Rain and slight wind create great conditions for catching yellow perch. Both these elements oxygenate the water and provide more cover for the hunting perch, so they’ll be more active during this type of weather. Of course, they can still be caught during the bright sunny days of summer but during bright light conditions, you might want to look for them in deeper spots or spots with more cover.

The Best Places To Find Yellow Perch

In general, yellow perch are found in shallow waters, but depending on light and water temperature, they can go as deep as 50 ft. (15 m). They prefer places with cover to stalk prey and to hide from predators such as walleye, pike, bass, and others. They usually stick pretty close to the bottom but will rise up and attack prey that it’s falling as well.

As we’ve mentioned above, an important part of yellow perch fishing is looking for them, and a boat equipped with a fish finder helps a lot. Perch stick together in schools, so if you’ve caught one in a place, you’ll most definitely catch more. But they also move a lot, so if you found a productive spot today, chances are that tomorrow or even a few hours later they won’t be there anymore.

In spring, yellow perch can be found in the shallows, close to the shores. You’ll find them in spots between 9 and 20 ft. (2.7 – 6 m). Weedy areas or places with structure and cover are great places to look for them.

During summer, perch will move deeper due to the brighter light and warmer water. So, your best bets are the deeper weedy areas. However, since they move a lot, and feed mostly at dawn and dusk, during these moments of the day, you may find them closer to the shores.

During fall, the water temperature cools down and the perch will once again move closer to the shores, in shallower spots. Similar to spring, you’ll find them in 9-20 ft. (2.7 – 6 m) of water. But although they prefer some cover, during this time you can also find them in rocky areas and sand flats. As we’ve mentioned above, windy and rainy days can produce great results for perch fishing, even though these aren’t the most pleasant weather conditions for being out on the water.

Like most other fish, the activity and feeding habits of the yellow perch decrease in wintertime. In general, winter perch can be found at depths between 10 and 30 ft. (3 – 9 m). They still move around as schools in winter, so if the lake or body of water where you’re fishing has a thick layer of ice, you may have a lot of work to do, cutting multiple holes, in order to drop your hooks on them. For this matter, a fish finder with a circular coverage or side angle transducer, like the Garmin Panoptix LiveScope UHD 93sv, for example, can do wonders and save you a lot of trouble.

Tackle For Yellow Perch

Yellow perch aren’t large fish; adults range between 4 to 10 inches (10 – 25 cm), with the big ones up to 3 pounds (1.3 kg). The record is 18-inch, 4 lbs 3 oz (45.7 cm, ~1.9 kg). This being said, light tackle is the best choice for these fish. Also, they do have teeth, but an extra strong or metallic leader is not necessary even if you target larger fish.

So, here are some recommendations in terms of rods, reels, lures, and baits for yellow perch fishing.

Rods

Compared to other predatory fish, yellow perch have a rather slow bite, so you’ll need a sensitive rod. Thus, in terms of rods, the best ones are in a 6-7 ft. range, ultra-light or light power, and fast or medium action. A few good examples would be:

Reels

Evidently, if you’re going to fish with a light rod, you’ll need a light reel on it as well. As a general idea, an excellent choice is a spinning reel (that’s why we’ve recommended two spinning rods above), with a fast gear ratio for drawing the perch out from the weeds or structure quickly. Here are a few examples:

Or, if you prefer a baitcasting setup, here are two excellent light and fast-casting reels:

However, spinning gear is a much better choice for yellow perch because you’ll be working with lighter lures and terminal tackle, so spinning reels offer a better casting range.

Fishing Line

The best line choice for fishing yellow perch is braided line. That’s because it makes the lure or bait easier to cast and offers superior sensitivity for the soft bike of small perch. Monofilament is also a good choice, but braided should be your first, while a full spool of fluoro is a bit of an overkill for perch. So, spool your reel with 6-lb or 8-lb braided, and to have a better presentation of the lure and bait, finish it with approx. 30″ of fluorocarbon.

Lures and bait

First of all, jigging is one of the most popular fishing techniques for yellow perch. And in this case, the best choices are lightweight jigs between 1/8 oz (3.5g) and 1/2 oz (14g). Live bait is never a bad choice for perch, and in this case minnows, leeches, redworms, and nightcrawlers work wonders. In terms of larval bait, you can use waxworms, maggots, or wigglers. Insects such as crickets or grasshoppers also produce decent results. So, tip your jig with one of these.

Of course, soft plastics are also a great choice for jig tipping. Small swimmers that imitate minnows and twitch tails of similar types produce excellent results. Also, small crankbaits, small teardrop spoons, and small spinners are some of the preferred artificials for perch fishing by most anglers. The efficiency of spoons can be increased if it’s tipped with a maggot, redworm, or with a piece of nightcrawler.