Yellow Perch in Illinois
Illinois yellow perch: limit, record, stocking and waters.
- no statewide rowlimit
- 2 lbs 8.75 ozrecord
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yellow perch across Illinois water
No line of the 2026 statewide digest table mentions yellow perch. Site-specific entries for a given water can still set rules that cover it.
IDNR lists 2 lbs 8.75 oz as the hook and line mark, taken at Arrowhead Club Lake in 1974. Begin with Devils Kitchen Lake, McCullom Lake and Mud Lake, among 3 Illinois pages that list it. See Calumet River and Chicago River: 5 waters print their own wording for it. 36,448 went into 1 water, by the IDNR stocking table.
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| Species as printed | Rule as printed |
|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 15 Fish Daily Harvest Limit (6); Closed May 1 through June 15 |
Lake Michigan rules and stamps
IDNR Lake Michigan fishing page and Lake Michigan entry of the 2026 Illinois Fishing Information digest (IDNR), read November 4, 2026.
Site-specific entries naming yellow perch
| Water as printed | County | Species | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calumet River | Cook | Yellow Perch | 15 Fish Daily Harvest Limit (6); Closed May 1 through June 15 |
| Chicago River | Cook | Yellow Perch | 15 Fish Daily Harvest Limit (6); Closed May 1 through June 15 |
| Douglas Park Lagoon | Cook | Yellow Perch | 9 inch Minimum Length Limit; 5 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
| Lake Michigan (Illinois Portion) | Lake, Cook | Yellow Perch | 15 Fish Daily Harvest Limit (6); Closed May 1 through June 15 |
| Mississippi River (Between IL & IA) | Yellow Perch | 25 Fish Daily Harvest Limit |
Site-specific regulations as printed in the 2026 Illinois Fishing Information digest (IDNR), read November 4, 2026.
Record yellow perch on the IDNR list
| Division | Weight | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hook and line | 2 lbs 8.75 oz | Arrowhead Club Lake | Will County | January 5, 1974 |
IDNR Illinois state record fish list (keeper: Illinois Department of Natural Resources; no angler names printed), read November 4, 2026.
Where IDNR stocked yellow perch
| Year | Water as listed | Number | Size class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Devils Kitchen Lake | 6,300 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
| 2022 | Devils Kitchen Lake | 30,148 | Fingerling (1 – 3") |
IDNR fish stocking table on ifishillinois.org (year, water, species, size class and number as listed; no stocking dates published), read November 4, 2026.
Where the IDNR outlook names yellow perch
| Lake | IDNR rating | County |
|---|---|---|
| McCullom Lake | Excellent | McHenry County |
| Mud Lake | Fair | DuPage County |
IDNR fishing outlook ratings and survey notes as printed on the IFishIllinois page, read November 4, 2026.
Illinois water that lists yellow perch
Impoundments with yellow perch
- Devils Kitchen Lake810 acres
- McCullom Lake244 acres
- Mud Lake22 acres
IDNR IFishIllinois outlook ratings and species lists, the IDNR stocking table and IDNR record waters; largest waters first.
Timber, cornfield and water around Yellow Perch through a lens
Photo: Ron Frazier, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: formulanone, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Matt Turner, CC BY 2.0
yellow perch questions from cornfield ponds to the big river
What does IDNR allow per day for yellow perch?
None of the 13 rows names it; site-specific entries still bind.
Does IDNR list a record yellow perch?
2 lbs 8.75 oz from Arrowhead Club Lake, 1974. Angler names are not printed.
Which Prairie State lake holds yellow perch?
Start at Devils Kitchen Lake, McCullom Lake and Mud Lake; 3 pages carry it.
Do any Illinois waters set their own yellow perch rule?
It changes on 5 waters, Calumet River among them.
Were yellow perch stocked in Illinois recently?
36,448 went into 1 water in 2022 and 2024.
How much is an Illinois license to fish for yellow perch?
Anglers 16 and older carry an Illinois fishing license ($15 a year for residents, $31.50 for nonresidents in 2026). The digest also requires the $6.50 Salmon Stamp to take salmon or trout in Lake Michigan.
Is there a bow record for yellow perch in Illinois?
IDNR runs two lists: hook and line and bow and arrow. Its entries: 1 record row.
What does the IDNR outlook say about yellow perch?
2 lake pages carry an IDNR grade for it; McCullom Lake rates excellent.
Line up a day on Illinois yellow perch
Each water above lists its ramps and site-specific rules on its own page.