YELLOW PERCH (Perca flavescens) are an excellent way to add variety to your fishery. Though commonly found in large lakes, they thrive in small ponds throughout the Midwest and can be fished for year-round. Juvenile yellow perch commonly school together seeking food and safety. This schooling behavior means you’ll often catch several fish in quick succession. Not only is this popular sport fish fun to catch – it’s also excellent table fare. Because yellow perch are active year-round, they’re a great species for ice fishing. Yellow perch readily take floating fish food pellets. Supplementing their diets with fish food not only increases their growth rates but also the number of fish your pond or lake can support. As they grow, their diet transitions from aquatic invertebrates to small fish. Supplemental stockings of fathead minnows and golden shiner minnows are necessary to support the perch and other predators in your pond or lake. Stock yellow perch today for a strong fighting, easy to catch and tasty fish. ALIAS: Lake perch, ringed perch, American perch, raccoon perch, ring-tailed perch IDENTIFICATION: A golden-yellow fish with 6 to 8 vertical bands and a spiny dorsal fin with 12 to 14 spines. DIET: Insects and insect larvae, snails, small fish and commercial fish food. HABITAT: Yellow perch inhabit clear freshwater lakes, rivers, and ponds with sandy or muddy bottoms and submerged vegetation. They thrive in cooler, temperate regions. SPAWNING: Mid-March to early-May when water temperatures are 50-60°F. They lay long egg strands onto submerged structure; no parental care is provided FISHING TIPS: Perch are most often caught in the spring and fall using fathead minnows, golden shiner minnows and night crawlers fished near the bottom. 300 fish per acre stocking rate is recommended.
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