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Lake of the Woods Jumbo Perch Fishing

Perch Perch are one of the best tasting fresh-water fish in North America, according to some. They are light and sweet and have less of a fishy taste to them. They are extremely popular and you are allowed to keep 15 with a sport license or 10 with a conservation license. It's a great way to bring fish home for the big fish fry. Many people do not bother keeping Perch because in most lakes Perch can be small with not much meat so people can't be bothered cleaning them. Harris Hill's region of Lake of the Woods is a whole different ball game with most Perch caught that are 12" and over.

Big lakes produce big fish and Lake of the Woods is the best example of this formula. Our guests enjoy catching Perch that are considered Jumbo Perch and some can reach the size of small Walleyes. Perch are very common in the 10" to 12" range, which is a much bigger average size than most Ontario Lakes. Guests have caught many Jumbo Perch well exceeding 12" including a 13.75" Master Angler Perch. Any fishermen catching a Perch 12" and over can be awarded ON Master Angler Certificates.

Most guests catch Perch while fishing for Walleye and Bass as they are found in the same waters. When they get a big one they keep it and can often catch 5 or more a day. If not eaten for lunch or shore lunch, by the end of the week they accumulate their limit. If you target Perch in the right places with smaller baits that the Perch like then it's easy to get your limit. It's also a great way to introduce your children to fishing because young children get excited to feel the aggressive bites on their lines.

Perch Baits & Points to Ponder

Perch are open all year long for fishing, although Harris Hill Resort is a 3 season resort. Spring is the time for Perch fishing in more shallow waters on Lake of the Woods. The most successful approach to catching Perch in spring is using a tiny jig tipped with a tiny minnow.

Summer Perch fishing is typically done on reefs or humps at 15' to 20', using a jig and a minnow with a snap swivel or barrel swivel technique.

Fall fishing for Perch resembles spring fishing. They move just off their spring shallow spots to bays and inlets. Again the most effective technique is a jig and a minnow.

Not all the Perch are down deep. It is true that in lakes with an extremely high population of Northern Pike the Perch tend to take refuge in deeper water but they are also attracted to thick weed cover that faces the open water. Perch are opportunist and rush to any easy food source that is available without compromising their safety cover. If you find a weedy plateau that is close to a drop-off an interesting trick is to drive your boat into the thick weeds, throw out a non-hooking anchor such as a bottle full of sand and then with your boat, drag the bottle through the weeds out to open water. Then drop your regular anchor and just fish straight down from the boat with a tiny piece of worm or a minnow on a small hook or a jig. When you disturb the weeds many small insects and larva that are in the weeds break free, start swimming around, and become easy meals for the Perch. This will attract Perch from a distance as they are attracted to disturbances in the water. The smell of the bottom churning up will also attract them.

If you like to fish for Perch as well as many other species of game fish, Harris Hill Resort is a great place to spend your fishing vacation.