Table fare for the famous Wisconsin “Friday Night Fish Fry”, the Yellow Perch is considered by many the best eating of all fresh water fish, but unfortunately it’s pond reputation does not match this.
The Yellow Perch spawns early in the spring by releasing large ribbons of eggs on submerged structures, such as fallen trees. It is somewhat unpredictable in ponds, sometimes doing well and sometimes dwindling away. The Walleye is a natural predator of the Yellow Perch, so they help keep perch populations under control.
Yellow Perch Advice:
Yellow Perch consume a wide variety of food items, including fish, which makes them both a predator and a prey species. They will take pellets if trained, but usually prefer natural food.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to maintain a Yellow Perch population in a pond dominated by Largemouth Bass. If you have Largemouth Bass and also want Yellow Perch, you may need to selectively cull the bass population as outlined in the Largemouth Bass Stunting article, and make sure that there is plenty of forage available for both the bass and the perch. Perch are tricky this way because they are both predator and prey.
If you choose to go with Yellow Perch, we recommend stocking 200 per Surface Acre for an initial stocking along with a bunch of minnows, and then see how they are doing after a year or two. Supplemental stockings may be necessary, especially if bass are present.
FOR A PRICE LIST, plus ordering and availability info, WI & IL Customers can email us at info@keystonehatcheries.com. Sorry, but we do not sell fish outside of WI or IL at this time.
CUSTOM FISH STOCKING RECOMMENDATIONS: email us with some info and we will recommend a stocking for you.