Species image (Illustration Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

What it looks like

  • light yellow body
  • 6 to 8 dark, vertical bands on sides
  • 2 separate dorsal fins
  • large mouth, extending to below the middle of the eye

Size

  • length: 15-30 centimetres (6-12 inches)
  • weight: 0.35 kilograms (0.75 pounds)
  • Ontario record: 1.1 kilograms (2.4 pounds)

Similar fish

Where it is found

Range of the Yellow Perch in Ontario

Species distribution map (modified from Mandrak and Crossman, 1992)

Range

  • widely distributed throughout the province
  • use Fish ON-Line, an interactive mapping tool, to find specific lakes and rivers

Habitat

  • tolerate a variety of temperatures and habitats
  • prefer areas of open water and moderate vegetation
  • share habitat with walleye and bass

Find a fishing spot with Fish ON-Line

Angling Tips

  • plentiful near shore after ice-out in late April and May
  • summer fishing is best at weed lines and large, flat sandy or silty areas with scattered vegetation near deeper water
  • comfortable in bright light – do not see well in dim light
  • feed in schools
  • begin in mid-morning, feed off and on throughout the day, and break up in the evening
  • usually found near the bottom

Common baits

  • light slip-sinker rigs
  • split-shot and a hook with a worm or small minnow
  • small spinners, tube jigs or twister tails
  • small minnows, earthworms
  • flies, grasshoppers, other insects