Do yellow perch live in current, or in infertile rock lakes?

Current, no; rock lakes, yes — but do not expect jumbos. The perch is a still-water schooler built to cruise and graze, not to hold station: even its river use is a spring visit through slack river mouths and backwaters to spawn, after which it leaves. Fast water is simply not perch habitat. Infertile Canadian Shield lakes are different — perch are present in most of them and are important forage there — but a perch population lives on bottom invertebrates, and a sterile rock basin grows few of those. The usual result is slow growth and modest size. The big fish come from richer water: moderately fertile "perch water" shared with walleye, and the Great Lakes, where invertebrates, crayfish and gobies are abundant.

Browse every question