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Yellow Perch

Perca flavescens

Fish · family Percidae · order Perciformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
29 states[3]
Longest recorded life
12 years[4]

Yellow Perch is a fish in the perch family (Percidae)[5]. NatureServe ranks it G5 (Secure) worldwide, and it is native to many states in the eastern and central US[2][3].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives Yellow Perch a global rank of G5 and a US national rank of N5, and both mean Secure[2][6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. The species is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe says the trend over recent years is uncertain, but likely fairly stable or slowly declining[8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5 (Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern

Where Yellow Perch lives

NatureServe lists Yellow Perch as native in 29 US states and territories, including Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, Alabama and the District of Columbia[3]. It is listed as introduced, which means not native, in states such as Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Texas and Washington[9]. These lists show where NatureServe records the species, so they do not promise you will see it in a given state[3][9].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: native, state rank S5MEWisconsin: native, state rank S5WIVermont: native, state rank S5VTNew Hampshire: native, state rank S5NHWashington: introduced, state rank SNAWAIdaho: introduced, state rank SNAIDMontana: introduced, state rank SNAMTNorth Dakota: native, state rank SNRNDMinnesota: native, state rank SNRMNIllinois: native, state rank S2ILMichigan: native, state rank S5MINew York: native, state rank S5NYMassachusetts: native, state rank S5MAOregon: introduced, state rank SNAORNevada: introduced, state rank SNANVWyoming: introduced, state rank SNAWYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S5SDIowa: native, state rank S5IAIndiana: native, state rank S4INOhio: native, state rank S5OHPennsylvania: native, state rank S5PANew Jersey: native, state rank S5NJConnecticut: native, state rank S5CTRhode Island: native, state rank S5RICalifornia: introduced, state rank SNACAUtah: introduced, state rank SNAUTColorado: introduced, state rank SNACONebraska: native, state rank S5NEMissouri: native, state rank SNRMOKentucky: native, state rank SNAKYWest Virginia: introduced, state rank SNAWVVirginia: native, state rank S5VAMaryland: native, state rank S5MDDelaware: native, state rank S5DEArizona: introduced, state rank SNAAZNew Mexico: introduced, state rank SNANMKansas: introduced, state rank SNAKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: native, state rank S5NCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S5SCDistrict of Columbia: native, state rank S5DCOklahoma: introduced, state rank SNAOKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: introduced, state rank SNAMSAlabama: native, state rank S3ALGeorgia: introduced, state rank SNAGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: introduced, state rank SNATXFlorida: native, state rank SNRFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[10].
Show state ranks (46 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaS3Vulnerable
ArizonaSNANot Applicable
CaliforniaSNANot Applicable
ColoradoSNANot Applicable
ConnecticutS5Secure
DelawareS5Secure
District of ColumbiaS5Secure
FloridaSNRNot Ranked
GeorgiaSNANot Applicable
IdahoSNANot Applicable
IllinoisS2Imperiled
IndianaS4Apparently Secure
IowaS5Secure
KansasSNANot Applicable
KentuckySNANot Applicable
MaineS5Secure
MarylandS5Secure
MassachusettsS5Secure
MichiganS5Secure
MinnesotaSNRNot Ranked
MississippiSNANot Applicable
MissouriSNRNot Ranked
MontanaSNANot Applicable
NebraskaS5Secure
NevadaSNANot Applicable
New HampshireS5Secure
New JerseyS5Secure
New MexicoSNANot Applicable
New YorkS5Secure
North CarolinaS5Secure
North DakotaSNRNot Ranked
OhioS5Secure
OklahomaSNANot Applicable
OregonSNANot Applicable
PennsylvaniaS5Secure
Rhode IslandS5Secure
South CarolinaS5Secure
South DakotaS5Secure
TexasSNANot Applicable
UtahSNANot Applicable
VermontS5Secure
VirginiaS5Secure
WashingtonSNANot Applicable
West VirginiaSNANot Applicable
WisconsinS5Secure
WyomingSNANot Applicable

Habitat

NatureServe records Yellow Perch in creeks and in medium and big rivers, in pools, and in both shallow and deep water[11]. It is usually found in clear, weedy backwaters and pools, in shallow parts of lakes, and in large ponds[12]. It often lives near thick growths of water plants, and in some areas it also lives in brackish water, which is a mix of fresh and salt water[12].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[11]

Size, diet and lifespan

Adults eat larger invertebrates and small fish, and NatureServe records them as both fish eaters and invertebrate eaters[13][14]. Young fish begin with tiny floating animals called zooplankton[13]. The typical length recorded by NatureServe is 31 cm (12 in)[15]. A female can lay about 100000 eggs in a clutch[16], and the young hatch after roughly 10 to 20 days[17]. The longest recorded lifespan in the wild is 12 years[4].

Trait Value
Typical length[15] 31 cm (12 in)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 12 years (wild)
Litter or clutch size[16] 100000
Gestation or incubation[18] 16 days
Food habits[14] Piscivore, Invertivore
Migration[19] local migrant

When to look for it

Yellow Perch feed mostly in daytime, with peaks in the morning and at dusk[20]. Scientists call that pattern crepuscular, which means active around dawn and dusk[21]. At night the fish rests on the bottom, and it stays active in winter under ice or in deep water[20]. Spawning happens in spring or late winter, and some fish move into streams or from brackish water into fresh water to spawn[12][22]. Online observation records peak in June, July and August, but that shows when people look and report, not how many fish there are[23].

January: 237 recordsJanFebruary: 280 recordsFebMarch: 429 recordsMarApril: 670 recordsAprMay: 1,180 recordsMayJune: 2,045 recordsJunJuly: 2,917 recordsJulAugust: 2,595 recordsAugSeptember: 1,571 recordsSepOctober: 890 recordsOctNovember: 294 recordsNovDecember: 1,309 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[23].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January237
February280
March429
April670
May1,180
June2,045
July2,917
August2,595
September1,571
October890
November294
December1,309

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Yellow Perch as present in 40 park units[24]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 16 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York[25]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Yellow Perch endangered?
No. NatureServe ranks it G5 (Secure) globally and N5 (Secure) in the US, and it is not listed under the Endangered Species Act[2][6][1].
Where does the Yellow Perch live?
NatureServe lists it as native in 29 US states and territories, from Maine to Florida and west to Nebraska and the Dakotas, and as introduced in other states such as California and Texas[3][9].
What does the Yellow Perch eat?
Young fish eat tiny floating animals called zooplankton, and adults eat larger invertebrates and small fish[13].
How big is a Yellow Perch?
The typical length recorded by NatureServe is 31 cm (12 in)[15].
How long does a Yellow Perch live?
The longest recorded lifespan in the wild is 12 years, and that is a record, not a typical lifespan[4].

Facts and sources

  1. Yellow Perch is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Yellow Perch: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Yellow Perch as native in 29 US states and territories: Alabama, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 12 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) is a fish in the family Percidae, order Perciformes. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. NatureServe notes on trend for Yellow Perch. NatureServe Explorer
  9. NatureServe lists Yellow Perch as introduced (not native) in: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe state ranks for Yellow Perch (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  11. Habitat types NatureServe records for Yellow Perch: Big river, Medium river, Creek, Low gradient, Pool, Deep water, Shallow water. NatureServe Explorer
  12. NatureServe notes on habitat for Yellow Perch. NatureServe Explorer
  13. NatureServe notes on food for Yellow Perch. NatureServe Explorer
  14. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Piscivore, Invertivore. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 31 cm (12 in). NatureServe Explorer
  16. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 100000. AnAge
  17. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Yellow Perch. NatureServe Explorer
  18. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 16 days. AnAge
  19. NatureServe migration category for Yellow Perch: local migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  20. NatureServe notes on phenology for Yellow Perch. NatureServe Explorer
  21. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Diurnal, Crepuscular. NatureServe Explorer
  22. NatureServe notes on migration for Yellow Perch. NatureServe Explorer
  23. GBIF observation records of Yellow Perch in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  24. NPSpecies park lists recording Yellow Perch as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies
  25. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Yellow Perch: Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.