How much does a yellow perch weigh?
Upload a photo of your catch, or use the tools below, to estimate its weight.
About the yellow perch
Typical adult length: 6–12 in (about 0.1–1 lb)
- Lifespan
- Typically lives 6 to 8 years, occasionally longer in cold northern lakes.
- Habitat
- Found in lakes and slow rivers, often schooling near weed edges or structure.
- Diet
- Feeds on small insects, crustaceans, and small fish.
- Baits & techniques
- Small minnows, worms, and jigs fished near structure or over deeper water are effective.
- Best season
- Fall and winter, including through the ice, are traditionally strong seasons.
- Best time of day
- Daytime, especially mid-morning to afternoon, tends to be productive for perch.
- Yellow perch typically travel in schools, so anglers often catch several once they find one.
- Their distinct vertical dark bars over a golden-yellow body make them easy to identify.
- Yellow perch are a popular ice-fishing target throughout the northern United States and Canada.
Yellow Perch length-to-weight chart
10 inches up to record size (18 in), using the standard length-to-weight formula for this species.
| Length (in) | Estimated weight (lb) |
|---|---|
| 10 | 0.6 |
| 12 | 1.0 |
| 14 | 1.6 |
| 16 | 2.3 |
| 18 | 3.3 |
Estimating weight without a scale
Length-to-weight formulas like the one above assume a typical yellow perch shape for a given length - fisheries biologists call this the cube law. Real fish vary: a well-fed fish ahead of spawning season can weigh noticeably more than a lean fish of the same length, and body shape varies fish to fish.
Adding girth (the distance around the fish at its widest point) meaningfully improves the estimate, because it captures how deep-bodied this particular fish actually is instead of assuming average proportions for the species - use the calculator above and fill in girth if you can measure it.
Either way, treat the result as a solid estimate, not a certified weight - see our terms for why these numbers shouldn't be used for tournaments, regulations, or sales.