Idaho's Cascade Lake is a special place for jumbo perch.
When it comes to the United States' top ice fishing destinations, there are few places that can rival Idaho's Cascade Lake for yellow perch in recent years. This lake is a magical place where a two-pound perch is a common catch for anglers!
In March of 2021, this lake produced the new Idaho state record, a monstrous 3.22-pound fish caught by Adam Mann that measured a whopping 16.25 inches long. That fish, verified by the Idaho Fish and Game Department (IDFG), broke the previous record of 2.96 pounds, which was also caught from Lake Cascade.
Do not take our word for it this place is awesome. Just watch this video from Northwoods Angling. These guys document a day filled with some truly big perch that most of us can only dream of catching.
The perch fishing did not get this good on accident. The IDFG made it a point to restore perch populations in the lake back in the early 2000s. The thing that probably really helped this lake become such a haven for record perch and big rainbow trout was the fact biologists worked to remove many of the predators like the Northern Pikeminnow that often target yellow perch. They then stocked the lake with adult perch that quickly ballooned in size, making for a truly robust population.
While the lake has quickly become a popular panfish destination, these waters are more than just a large perch fishery. The lake is also gaining a reputation as a great smallmouth bass, steelhead, and kokanee salmon spot too.
Anglers have been pulling giant trophy perch from Cascade's waters at an incredible rate. As the IDFG notes, the lake has produced two weight records and three catch and release records for perch in the last five years. This has some die-hard anglers wondering if Cascade can eventually break the International Game Fish Association's all tackle world record for a yellow perch, a record that has stood since the Civil War. The fish was caught in 1865! One thing is for sure, we'll be watching this lake closely this year to see if it can do just that.
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NEXT: YELLOW PERCH SPECIES PROFILE: ALL THE DETAILS ON THIS DELICIOUS FISH
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