Perch Lake (Polk County)
Polk County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 60005500
DNR records show 3 stocking entries at Perch Lake (Polk County) since 2018, most recently bluegill sunfish yearlings in 2025 (475 fish).
- Perch Lake (Polk County) has 3 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2018-2025): walleye (2), bluegill sunfish (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 332,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 19 ft, mean depth 10 ft; surface area 84 acres, 62 littoral acres, 2.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 9.0 ft.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Polk County, nearest town Gully; DNR lake number (DOW) 60005500.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bluegill Sunfish1 | yearlings | 475 | 9.5 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 62,000 | 0.5 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 270,000 | 2.2 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | TOW | Access along NW shore of lake off Township Road Number 714 (280th St SE). |
DNR fish survey, 2008
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 54.80 | 548 | 0.03 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 10.00 | 100 | 0.04 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 7.20 | 72 | 0.08 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 2.80 | 28 | 0.26 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.90 | 9 | 1.24 |
| Golden shiner | Standard trap nets | 0.30 | 3 | 0.08 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.20 | 2 | 0.05 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.10 | 1 | 0.61 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 8.50 | 34 | 0.10 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 3.75 | 15 | 3.65 |
| Golden shiner | Standard gill nets | 1.75 | 7 | 0.10 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.75 | 7 | 1.56 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.75 | 7 | 0.26 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 6 | 0.08 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.25 | 5 | 3.54 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 0.75 | 3 | 0.06 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
As a small, shallow lake, Perch lake's simple fish community is easily impacted by water levels, winterkill, and fishing pressure. Since no severe winterkill has occurred for several years, most fish populations have been relatively stable in abundance. However, size structures of some species have apparently shown the effects of increased fishing pressure. Bluegill populations, in particular, consisted of smaller fish in 2008 than in the past. In 1984, no bluegills smaller than seven inches were captured in test nets. Twenty-four years later, bluegills larger than seven inches were rare and none over eight inches were found. Northern pike are not especially abundant and no exceptionally large pike were caught, but the average size was better in 2008 than in 1998. The average pike size was 25.5 inches in length and 3.7 pounds. Sampled pike ranged from 20.5 to 31.7 inches. Walleyes have only been caught in one survey (1993), but several other species were present in 2008 including black crappie, brown bullhead, golden shiner, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed sunfish, white sucker, and yellow perch. Crappie and bass were found in modest numbers. Bass averaged approximately a pound and a half each while the few crappies were all small (age one). Anglers can help sustain a higher quality fishery in Perch Lake by releasing a portion of larger fish they might otherwise have kept. However, it must be recognized that the lake is vulnerable to infrequent winterkill, especially when water levels are lower. While the current high water levels make it unlikely, winterkill in the near future would make catch and release less than effective in Perch Lake.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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