Yellow / Jumbo Perch

Perch is a very popular fish in Ontario, available widely in thousands of lakes and rivers. Many anglers, when they were young, probably remember fishing with a worm and bobber and catching many perch every day. Not much has changed; yellow perch remains a catch for every angler. Those who enjoy ice fishing, particularly, can attest to reeling in perch often.

Known for its tastiness, the Yellow Perch can grow upwards of 14 inches and weigh a sizeable 1.5 pounds. Two dorsal fins along the long body, complete with six to eight dark bands, make it an easily recognisable species.

Jumbo perch, or yellow perch longer than 10 inches, make their home in Ontario. The current weight record in Ontario for yellow/jumbo perch is 2.25 pounds!

Yellow and jumbo perch alike live in both small and large water bodies. They tend to stay around vegetation and underwater structure to protect them. Mostly a schooling species, where there is one perch, there are usually many. Perch are relatively easy to catch with minnows, jigs, small spoons and worms. Due to their abundance and relative easy, perch is a great target for young and/or new anglers. Remember to have enough worms available, as supply can diminish quickly.