# white perch/yellow perch



## mikey

Can anyone help me out......What is the difference between yellow/white perch? Do they taste different? Are the white ones worth keeping or just nuisance fish? Looking to do some fall perch fishing and would like to know ahead of time so I don't keep any white ones and throw them out later.

Thaks for any information...


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## HuRon

Caught some out of Lake Macatawa before. They're good eating. They're not really perch, related to White Bass. I did a search, here's a couple links.

http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatlakesfish/whiteperch.html
http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/fishing/aquanotes-fishid/whteperch.htm


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## walleyeman2006

if it looks like a yellow perch and is just faded thats just habitat related dont worry they all taist the same ...white perch are a different species all together


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## Gone Fishing

In my opinion, yellow perch are great table fare and white perch are seagull food or fertilizer.


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## EdB

> In my opinion, yellow perch are great table fare and white perch are seagull food or fertilizer.


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## Getaway

White perch are another invasive species, like John said, good seagull bait .

Yellow perch are pretty crappy tasting too. They kinda taste like a skunky rotten salmon. In fact, I've installed a disposal site at my house for those nasty critters. Feel free to bring them over and I'll dispose of them for you.:corkysm55


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## roger23

I don't think cormorant will eat white perch


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## Oldgrandman

As I understand it there are lake perch (aka yellow perch) and white perch. Lake perch can be white or yellow in color depending on where/when caught but look the same other than color.
A true white perch looks like a white bass kinda-sorta and is about as desireable as.....well it is a family site so I will stop here.
Thats what I understand about them.


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## HuRon

OK, I should have known better on the coldwater forum. When I catch them I keep them, because they're an invasive species & notorious egg eaters of other fish. What I keep I eat, not as good as yellow perch, but not that bad, to each his own.


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## mikey

Ok, Let me get this right.....if I catch a perch shaped and looks like a yellow perch, except it is white- then it should taste the same as the yellow perch. If it looks like a white bass, chuck'em in your prop wash. Is this the consensus?


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## RyGuy525

White perch will also have a purple colored bottom lip. Thats how i can always tell them apart from white bass.


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## Connor4501

HuRon said:


> OK, I should have known better on the coldwater forum. When I catch them I keep them, because they're an invasive species & notorious egg eaters of other fish. What I keep I eat, not as good as yellow perch, but not that bad, to each his own.


I work in wholesale food service. Various restaurants will get the $2.99 a pound white perch and advertise it in their fish fry as "lake" perch ($12.00 a pound).....Amazingly, many take advantage of this and if a few customers are disappointed, so be it....


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