Ohio stocks state's largest inland lake with about 100,000 yellow perch for anglers

6/15/2014

ST MARYS, Ohio — Ohio has released about 100,000 yellow perch into the state’s largest inland lake to provide better fishing opportunities for anglers.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recently stocked Grand Lake St. Marys in western Ohio with the perch.

The stocked perch are about 1½ to 2 inches long and considered fingerlings. They are expected to take about three years to reach a size large enough for anglers to keep.

This marks the third year that Grand Lake St. Marys has received yellow perch That means some of the existing perch should be near the size that anglers can keep.

More than 208,000 yellow perch were released the previous two years.

The long-term goal of the stocking program is to establish a self-sustaining yellow perch fishery at the lake.