Females grow faster and larger than males, but rarely exceed 14 inches or weigh more than 1 lb. Young perch will grow 1 to 4 inches long during their first summer, feeding on invertebrates and fish. Feeding occurs during the morning and evening hours, rarely at night. Yellow perch will feed throughout the year, even under ice. Perch will consume the eggs and young of a wide variety of fishes.
Yellow perch can adapt to diverse habitats and are tolerant of low dissolved oxygen.
Currently, few stocking programs are still in existence. Some states in the north-east and Pacific United States have expressed interest in limiting or removing yellow perch populations because they compete for food with salmonids. Culture of Yellow Perch Information about the culture of yellow perch is limited. However, the biology of this species is similar to the walleye. Fry are reared in fertilized ponds and can be harvested by lift nets at night when attracted to light.