Perch

Perch Lake is a 13-acre lake with 0.79 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 39 feet located southwest of Backus, MN. There is a Cass County public access located on the north shore. Perch Lake offers Rainbow Trout fishing in a remote, wilderness setting. The lake is entirely within the Foothills State Forest and the shoreline is undeveloped. Perch Lake is one of four designated stream trout lakes in the Walker Fisheries Management Area. Other stream trout lakes in the Walker Management Area are Diamond, Hazel, and Teepee Lakes. Rainbow Trout were initially stocked in Perch Lake in 1956. Rainbow Trout do not reproduce in the lake and the population is supported entirely by stocking to provide a unique angling opportunity. Rainbow Trout stocking success is dependent on the absence of introduced species. The average length of Rainbow Trout sampled in 2023 was 11 inches, and lengths ranged from 9 to 16 inches. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Perch Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

Perch Lake (DOW #11-0826; Lake Class 20) has a total surface area of 12.5 acres and a shoreline length of 0.79 miles. There is a public access on the northeast shore of the lake on a State Forest Trail. Perch Lake offers Rainbow Trout fishing in a remote, wilderness-like setting. The lake is located in the Foot Hills State Forest and the shoreline is undeveloped. Because of its small size, the lake is ideal for canoes or float tubes. Perch Lake is one of four lakes in the Walker Fisheries Management Area stocked annually with Rainbow Trout. The other designated stream-trout lakes in the Walker Management Area are Diamond, Hazel, and Teepee Lakes. Perch Lake was first used as a stream trout lake in 1956 after being chemically reclaimed. Rainbow Trout do not reproduce in this lake and the population is supported entirely by stocking to provide a unique angling opportunity. The average length of Rainbow Trout sampled in 2015 was 12 inches and lengths ranged from 10 to 18 inches. Catch rates were similar to previous years indicating that anglers can expect similar fishing as in past years. Historically Perch Lake has supported trout that survive over summer through winter. The presence of large trout (18 inches) confirms that over summer-winter survival is occurring. In January 2015, Perch Lake was opened to winter Trout fishing, providing increased opportunities for trout anglers in the Walker area. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Perch Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

Perch Lake (DOW #11-0826; Lake Class 20) has a total surface area of 12.5 acres and a shoreline length of 0.79 miles. There is a public access on the northeast shore of the lake on a State Forest Trail. Perch Lake offers Rainbow Trout fishing in a remote, wilderness-like setting. The lake is located in the Foot Hills State Forest and the shoreline is undeveloped. Because of its small size, the lake is ideal for canoes or float tubes. Perch Lake is one of four lakes in the Walker Fisheries Management Area stocked annually with Rainbow Trout. The other designated stream-trout lakes in the Walker Management Area are Diamond, Hazel, and Teepee Lakes. Perch Lake was first used as a stream trout lake in 1956 after being reclaimed. Rainbow Trout do not reproduce in this lake and the population is instead supported entirely by stocking to provide a unique angling opportunity. The average length of Rainbow Trout sampled in 2014 was 12 inches and lengths ranged from 11 to 13 inches. The majority of fish captured were likely from the spring 2014 stocking. While the size range was smaller, catch rates were similar to previous years indicating that anglers can expect similar fishing as in past years. Historically Perch Lake has supported trout that survive over summer-winter. While no trout were captured from the 2013 or previous stockings, anglers should expect some fish from the 2014 stocking and subsequent 2015 stocking during the 2015 trout season. In January 2015, Perch Lake was opened to winter Trout fishing, providing increased opportunities for trout anglers in the Walker area. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently not aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Perch Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Yellow Perch and Rainbow Trout in Perch. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Perch. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Perch has a maximum depth of 39 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Perch is from 2023.

No invasive species are on record for Perch in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.