Over the years I could not tell you how many Perch I’ve caught but I’m guessing it has to be in the thousands. Yes, that number is true, but I have always stayed within in the legal limit. All of those Perch were Yellow Perch, and I have heard of white Perch that is related to White Bass/Yellow Bass, but BLUE?

As I mentioned above, in all the years I have been fishing I have never caught or even heard of anyone catching a BLUE PERCH. That was until a few days ago when a good friend that fishes year-round showed me a picture of a BLUE PERCH. He did not catch this Blue Perch, but when I saw it at first, I thought it could have been photo shopped, but nope, it was for real.

Because of this photo I had to research this type of fish and there IS such a fish swimming in our Northwoods waters. Supposedly there have been blue perch caught in Trout Lake, Lake Winnebago and the Willow Flowage. But as always, I will give up locations (depth, weeds, rocks, wood) where and when different fish are caught but not give the actual lake or the location fish are being caught on a certain lake. But I will tell you, the fish I saw pictures of DID come out of LAKE GOGEBIC.

This fish is basically a Yellow Perch with genetic mutation that effects pigment cells and are extremely rare. Even though it is possible to catch a Blue Prech in any upper Midwest Lake that has a large population of Yellow Perch it is estimated there is only 1 in 50K chance you will land a Blue Perch.

I’m thinking since the blue color comes only from pigment cells, these Blue Perch can be eaten, but no matter the size, I would have a BLUE PERCH mounted with a few YELLOW PERCH on driftwood, wouldn’t you?