Yellow Perch - Life History

Life History

Yellow perch spawn once a year in spring using large schools and shallow areas of a lake or low-current tributary streams. They do not build a redd or nest. Spawning typically takes place at night or in the early morning. Females have the potential to spawn up to eight times in their lifetimes. Two to five males go to the spawning grounds first and are with the female throughout the spawning process. The female deposits her egg mass, and then at least two males release their milt over the eggs, with the total process taking about five seconds. The males stay with the eggs for a short time, but the females leave immediately. There is no parental care provided for the eggs or fry. The average clutch size is 23,000 eggs, but can range from 2,000 to 90,000. The egg mass is a jelly-like, semibuoyant and can reach up to two meters long. The egg mass attaches to some vegetation while the rest flows with the water current. Other substrate includes sand, gravel, rubble and submerged trees and brush in wetland habitat. Yellow perch eggs are thought to contain a chemical in the jelly-like sheath that protects the eggs and makes them undesirable since they are rarely ever eaten by other fish. The eggs usually hatch in eight to ten days, but can take up to 21 days depending upon temperature and proper spawning habitat. Yellow perch do not travel far during the year but move into deeper water during winter and return to shallow water in spring to spawn. Spawning occurs in the spring when water temperatures are between 6.7°C and 12.8°C. Growth of fry is initiated at 6°C–10°C, but is inactive below 5.3°C. Larval yellow perch survival is based on a variety of factors such as wind speed, turbidity, food availability, and food composition. Immediately after hatching, yellow perch head for the pelagic shores to school and are typically 5mm long at this point. This pelagic phase is usually 30–40 days long.

Sexual dimorphism is known to occur in the northern waters where females are often larger, grow faster, live longer, and mature in three to four years. Males mature in two to three years at a smaller size. Perch do not grow as large in the northern waters, but tend to live longer. Maximum age estimates vary widely. The age of the perch is highly based on the condition of the lake. Most research has shown the maximum age to be approximately 9–10 years, with a few living past 11 years. Yellow perch have been proven to grow the best in lakes where they are piscivorous due to the lack of predators. Perch do not perform well in cold, deep, oligotrophic lakes. Seasonal movements tend to follow the 20°C isotherm and researchers have concluded water temperature was the most important factor influencing fish distribution. Yellow perch commonly reside in shallow water, but are occasionally found deeper than 15 meters or on the bottom. Their optimum temperature range is 21°C–24°C, but have been known to adapt to warmer or cooler habitats. The common lethal limit is 26.5°C, but some research has shown it to be in upwards of 33°C with a stress limit at anything over 26°C. In order to grow properly, yellow perch prefer a pH of 7 to 8. The tolerable pH ranges have been found to be approximately 3.9 to 9.5. They also may survive in brackish and saline waters as well as water with low dissolved oxygen levels.