The catch of a jumbo-sized yellow perch in April 2024 could be an indicator of more good fishing along the of Lake Michigan waterfront in Indiana.
Blas Lara was fishing Lake Michigan in Lake County during the Mayor’s Fishing Derby in Hammond on April 21 when he landed a 3-pound, 2-ounce yellow perch, setting a new state record for the species.
Lara’s catch shattered the previous state record for the species, a 2-pound, 8-ounce perch caught from a gravel pit in Vigo County by Roy W. Burkel Jr. in 1981.
The catch was not the only example of a long-standing record to fall in Indiana this year. On March 3, Rex Remington set a new state record for smallmouth bass, breaking a record set in 1992.
Yellow perch are native to Lake Michigan and popular with anglers due to the relative ease of catching them and their quality as table fare. Although Lake Michigan’s yellow perch fishery has declined from its peak decades ago, fishing remains popular with large perch being caught along the shoreline.
“Perch growth rates have accelerated over the past few years, with many reaching true trophy sizes at younger ages than in the past,” said Indiana Department of Natural Resources Lake Michigan fisheries research biologist Ben Dickinson. “Many anglers have been catching true ‘jumbo’ perch, in the 14- to-17-inch size class over the past two years.”
Yellow perch have the distinction of being the most frequently caught game fish in Michigan. Yellow perch move in schools, generally preferring relatively nearshore waters less than 30 feet deep.
Yellow perch inhabit all the Great Lakes. In Lake Michigan, yellow perch remain active all winter long under the ice. They are a favorite catch of ice fishing enthusiasts.
More information on fishing in Indiana can be found on the Indiana Department of Natural Resources website.
source: Indiana Department of Natural Resources
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