Lake Erie Perch is the local keystone, along with the mighty Walleye. Hundreds of thousands of Yellow Perch are available to anglers from one end of the Lake to the other. They are easy to find, fun to catch, and tasty to eat. Who can refuse such great table fare?

When to fish for Perch

All Lake Erie Perch charters will definitely agree on one thing: any day is the best day to go ‘perching.’

Yellow Perch school up by early August in all the basins. They feed heavily in autumn to gain the energy they need to get through the winter months. October is traditionally the best month to get your hands on Jumbo Perch.

Come winter, Lake Erie captains wrap up their boating season and ice-fishing begins. In December, first ice finds Perch close to shallow weed-beds. As the winter progresses, they move to mid-lake flats. In spring, spawning Perch can be found inshore.

How to fish for Perch

Perch fishing charters on Lake Erie (or anywhere else for that matter) don’t require a lot of tackle and equipment. A rod, a reel that turns, and some hooks will cover it.

Jumbo Perch will most likely hit anything. However, the most popular method of catching them includes using egg sinkers and hooks baited with a worm, a bobber or a minnow. Emerald shiners are the bait of choice but it’s not uncommon to catch Perch on other minnows — the smaller the better. In addition to that, Jumbos can also hit nightcrawlers.

Lake Erie Perch guides know that the hottest bite is within inches of the bottom. They anchor in deep water and fish near the lakebed. When the schools of Perch are thick, you can easily expect to land two or even three jumbos at once. It may sometimes take a while to trigger the fish. But once Perch start to bite, it is a fishing frenzy.

Casting small spinners, diving plugs, spoons, and jigging are among the most popular methods.

When the ice-fishing season begins, head to just about any protected bay on Lake Erie. Begin fishing the bottom and work your way up. Use emerald shiners on small jigs and enjoy catching.

Sometimes, you may not even need a boat. Yellow Perch can be accessible to shore anglers in the spring months.

The limits are 30 fish per angler per day. There is no size limit but 10’’ to 13’’ are the most common.