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Yellow Perch

Yellow Perch

Yellow Perch in Wyoming are non-native but established fish that are schooling fish that remain active all winter, making them popular for ice fishing. They are prolific spawners, with females able to lay upwards of 100,000 eggs.

Physical Characteristics:
  • Distinctive brassy green to golden yellow sides, featuring 6-8 dark vertical bands across their back and sides, and off-white to pale yellow bellies.
  • The lower fins are reddish to orange.
  • In Wyoming, they seldom exceed 12-14 inches but can reach 18 inches.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • Prefer relatively shallow near-shore areas in lakes with moderate vegetation.

Key Locations

  • Saratoga Lake (where they were illegally introduced in 2021 and subsequently eliminated), Curt Gowdy State Park reservoirs (Granite and Crystal), Healy Reservoir near Buffalo, and various Plains Lakes west of Laramie.

Specific Spots

  • Focus on areas with underwater vegetation, rocky shores, and submerged structures.
  • In Wyoming's Plains Lakes, look for them around weed beds and rocky points.

Yellow Perch FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

What are the best lures and bait for Yellow Perch in Wyoming?

1/32 oz jig heads tipped with small plastics like glow worms, grubs, or 1-inch Berkeley power tubes. Small spoons, spinners, and crankbaits like the Rebel Hellgrammite. Live bait options include small fathead or shiner minnows, small leeches, wax worms, and earthworms. During ice fishing, use tiny jigs or bait.

What flies work for Yellow Perch in Wyoming?

Small streamers, woolly buggers (especially dark olive body with brown hackle), soft hackles, yellow clousers about an inch long, carey patterns in orange and green, small nymphs, and leech patterns.

When is the best time to fish for Yellow Perch in Wyoming?

Spring (after spawning), summer, and fall. Active year-round including through ice. Spawn in early spring when temperatures reach 45-58 degrees (typically April through mid-May, sometimes as late as June).

How do you catch Yellow Perch in Wyoming?

Fish slowly near the bottom, as perch typically stay within 6 inches of the lake floor. During ice fishing, target shallow mud flats, bays, and vegetation edges in early winter.

What do Yellow Perch eat?

Feed primarily on insect larvae, crustaceans, and small fish, with first-year fish feeding on zooplankton.

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