Yellow Perch

Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) are a fresh water fish that the lives in lakes, ponds, and slow rivers. Their native range included the United State's eastern coastal states from Georgia up to Nova Scotia and Quebec; in addition, they could be found in the northern states as far west as the Dakotas. Now, they can be found throughout most of the United States and Canada. They like lakes with moderate vegetation and clear water.

Their eggs are laid in the night or morning usually on vegetation or submerged trees; however, they sometimes lay them on sand or gravel. The eggs hatch in around 8 to 10 days.

Fish eggs, insects, large invertebrates, and small fish make of the diet of the yellow perch. Larval yellow perch usually migrate offshore, to reduce the chance of being eaten and to feed on zooplankton. Both young and adult yellow perch often move about in schools.

Their color is primarily yellow with 6 to 8 dark bars. They also have red/orange pectoral fins, and two well separated dorsal fins. They average about 6 inches in length and 5.29 oz in weight.

They are a tasty fish, and are the greatest commercial production fish from the Great Lakes. However, they are relatively small and easy to catch, so they are often considered a sport fish for children.