MN · Yellow perch
Minnesota yellow perch limits
Minnesota never closes yellow perch season on inland waters and sets no size limit. You may keep 20 perch a day and hold up to 40 in total possession, one of the few cases where the state's daily and possession limits differ. Border waters with Iowa, the Dakotas and Wisconsin carry their own perch limits, from 15 to 50.
Verified 2026-10-30Limits at a glance
Regulation period: March 2026 through Feb. 28, 2027.
Daily limit
20 per day; possession limit 40
DatesOpen all year
Size ruleNo minimum length
Daily limit
10 in possession
DatesOpen all year
Size ruleNo minimum lengthSpecial and experimental regulations are listed lake by lake on pages 45–64 of the booklet; look up your lake before you keep fish.
Daily limit
10 sunfish, crappie and yellow perch combined, no more than 5 of them crappie
DatesOpen all year
Size ruleNo minimum lengthOne limit covers the whole group, not each lake.
Daily limit
15
DatesOpen all year
Size ruleNo size limit printed in the border-water table
Daily limit
25
DatesOpen all year
Size ruleNo size limit printed in the border-water table
Daily limit
25
DatesOpen all year
Size ruleNo size limit printed in the border-water table
Daily limit
15 per day; possession limit 30
DatesOpen all year
Size ruleNo size limit printed in the border-water table
Daily limit
50
DatesOpen all year
Size ruleNo size limit printed in the border-water table
Watch for
- The daily limit counts every perch you keep that calendar day, including fish you give away or eat. On a water whose daily limit is lower than the possession limit, you may not have more than the daily limit with you there.
- A resident Conservation License halves the limits, rounding down: 10 perch a day and 20 in possession on inland waters.
- Mille Lacs Lake has its own regulations, which are posted at the lake accesses and on the DNR's Mille Lacs page rather than printed in the booklet: check source.
- Border-water limits apply on the shared lake or river itself; the booklet lists the exact boundaries on pages 66–77.
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Minnesota · Yellow perch
Quick answers
What is the daily limit for yellow perch in Minnesota?
Inland waters, statewide: 20 per day; possession limit 40. Size rule: No minimum length. Other waters and date windows have different rules; see the table. Verify with Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Which regulations do these Minnesota figures come from?
March 2026 through Feb. 28, 2027, as published by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Last verified 2026-10-30.