Walleye and perch
Yellow perch
Perca flavescens.
Length to weight chart, typical size by age, and how to photograph a yellow perch so fishline measures it well.
- Typical top length
- 14 in
- about 1.5 lb
- An 11 inch fish
- 0.70 lb
- 11 oz
- Age at 11 inches
- 4 to 5 years
- rough, varies by water
- Growth levels off
- about age 9
- gains slow to a crawl after
Yellow perch length to weight chart
Estimated weight for a yellow perch in average shape at each length, from the formula W = L^3.1 / 2,400 (W in pounds, L in inches). It is the same relationship fishline uses when it measures a yellow perch from a photo.
| Length | Weight | Rough age |
|---|---|---|
| 5 in | 0.06 lb | 1 to 2 years |
| 6 in | 0.11 lb | 1 to 2 years |
| 7 in | 0.17 lb | about 2 years |
| 8 in | 0.26 lb | 2 to 3 years |
| 9 in | 0.38 lb | about 3 years |
| 10 in | 0.52 lb | 3 to 4 years |
| 11 in | 0.70 lb | 4 to 5 years |
| 12 in | 0.92 lb | 5 to 6 years |
| 13 in | 1.2 lb | 7 to 8 years |
| 14 in | 1.5 lb | 9+ years |
| 15 in | 1.8 lb | 9+ years |
Total length, nose to the tip of the pinched tail. Weights are for a yellow perch in average shape. A fat fish, like a female before the spawn, weighs more and a thin one less, which a girth measurement picks up. Rows past 14 inches are bigger than typical for the species.
Size by age
fishline's growth model puts a typical yellow perch at around 14 inches when fully grown, with most of its growth done by about age 9. Younger fish add length fast; older fish mostly add weight.
Age from length is rough. Fish in warm water with plenty to eat grow faster than this, and fish in cold or crowded water grow slower. For a quick estimate from any length, use the fish age calculator.
| Age | Length | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 4.1 in | 0.03 lb |
| 2 years | 7 in | 0.18 lb |
| 3 years | 9.1 in | 0.39 lb |
| 4 years | 10.5 in | 0.62 lb |
| 5 years | 11.6 in | 0.82 lb |
| 6 years | 12.3 in | 0.99 lb |
| 7 years | 12.8 in | 1.1 lb |
| 8 years | 13.1 in | 1.2 lb |
| 9 years | 13.4 in | 1.3 lb |
From a von Bertalanffy growth curve. Fish in warm, food-rich water grow faster than this and fish in cold or crowded water grow slower, so treat every row as a rough middle.
Weigh your yellow perch
Enter the length, and the girth if you taped it, for an estimate on your fish.
Photo tips for yellow perch
fishline reads length from the photo using whatever is in frame for scale, so a clean, side-on shot gives the tightest number.
- 1Mind the spiny dorsal fin and the sharp gill plates. Hold the fish level with one hand behind the head and the other under the belly near the tail.
- 2Low light is when these fish bite and when photos come out dark. Use the flash or a headlamp, because a clear outline of the fish matters more than a pretty background.
- 3A bump board or a tape laid alongside the fish gives fishline the tightest read.
- 4Perch are small, so get close and keep your fingers or a ruler in the shot for scale.
More walleye and perch
Or skip the tape. Snap a photo and fishline measures it.
Species, length and weight from one photo. 5 free measurements every month.