Chesapeake Bay Species Series: Beloved Yellow Perch

by

A living symbol of Maryland’s cultural heritage

A harbinger of spring, yellow perch represent the changing of the seasons and new fishing opportunities for recreational anglers in Maryland. Often referred to as the “first fish”—since they are among the first species to migrate into the Chesapeake Bay’s tributaries to spawn in late winter or early spring—yellow perch’s early arrival signifies a time of excitement. Although the yellow perch fishing season is open year round in Maryland, the highly anticipated spawning runs have become a cherished tradition among recreational anglers—signaling the end of winter and ushering in the spring fishing season. 

Yellow perch are semi-anadromous, meaning they live in fresh or brackish water and spawn in shallow freshwater streams. Adults migrate from the lower parts of the Bay tributaries to the upper regions to find suitable spawning habitat. Spawning occurs in late February to March. Females lay long, gelatinous strands of eggs, which stick to underwater vegetation, branches, or other debris, and are then fertilized by males. After spawning, adults migrate back downstream. 

According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), many yellow perch are caught during these popular spawning runs, which are one of the first major fishing events of the year in Maryland. During this time, yellow perch are easier to catch since they congregate in the upper tributaries, travel in large schools, are accessible from the shore or a boat, and bite on a wide variety of baits and lures—making them a popular catch among recreational anglers of all skill levels. 

“Yellow perch are one of Maryland’s favorite fish,” says Jim Uphoff, fisheries biologist, DNR Fishing and Boating Services. “They are a cultural symbol of our state—a fish that lives in our waters and is extremely popular. Not only are they fun to catch for sport, but they are also delicious to eat. Since yellow perch are so beloved, their issues are our issues. As a community, we need to address these issues and tackle the challenges they face.” 

A Robust Fishery Management Plan 

The DNR Fishing and Boating Services manages both the commercial and recreational yellow perch fisheries under the authority of the Maryland Tidewater Yellow Perch Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which was adopted in 2002. 

This FMP serves as a blueprint to manage the tidewater yellow perch stocks in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, and provides a framework for restoring and conserving the species. The ecosystem-based approach focuses on issues besides fishing regulations alone (size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures) and evaluates productivity from an ecological perspective while ensuring sustainable commercial and recreational fishing opportunities. 

“We conduct yellow perch monitoring efforts, including surveys and stock assessments, and set fishing regulations,” says Carrie Kennedy, division director, Tidal and Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, DNR. “In the upper Bay, the Patuxent River, and the Chester River, we manage commercial harvest and quotas. Recreationally, we manage throughout the tidal waters of the state. 

“The Plan was designed to be adaptable to changing conditions. DNR reviews and updates the plan and reports on progress made in achieving our goals. As the status of yellow perch stocks changes over time, our management strategies are adjusted as needed. This flexibility allows our management team and our restoration partners to utilize our ecosystem-based approach and address issues that negatively impact yellow perch.” 

Several restoration partners play a critical role in helping DNR achieve its goals. Coastal Conservation Association Maryland (CCA Maryland) actively supports efforts to manage yellow perch populations, including advocacy for science-based management strategies, habitat conservation, and public awareness. 

“Our overall mission is to conserve, promote, and enhance the present and future availability of coastal resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public,” says David Sikorski, executive director, CCA Maryland. “Our organization has a long history of encouraging people to participate in the management of important species like yellow perch and working to balance conserving the resource and providing future fishing opportunities.” 

Threats to Yellow Perch 

Easily recognizable among nature enthusiasts, conservationists, and recreational anglers, yellow perch are golden or greenish yellow with six to eight distinctive dark vertical bands on their sides and reddish-orange fins. Since the species holds such a special place in Maryland’s culture, it’s important to protect its population by identifying and mitigating threats to its survival. 

Kennedy says based on data collected in the waters monitored, it’s reasonable to extrapolate that the yellow perch population is down from 10 to 15 years ago. Although fisheries biologists and resource managers may not know the exact reason for the population decline, the accumulation of multiple stressors may be a contributing factor. 

One of the most serious threats to yellow perch is development, which creates impervious surfaces, such as roads and parking lots, that prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground. This causes increased stormwater runoff, flooding, increased sedimentation, high levels of nutrients and contaminants, erosion, warming water temperatures, and hypoxia. These factors lead to poor water quality and habitat degradation. 

Impervious surface indices track development and serve as a valuable tool to manage its impact on the environment. Uphoff says conserving watersheds at or below 5 percent impervious surface would be a viable fisheries management strategy. However, at above a 10 percent threshold, productivity worsens. 

“Maryland’s yellow perch fishery (and many others) is dependent on production from rural watersheds (agriculture, forests, and wetlands with low development),” Uphoff says. “Increased development is followed by degraded fish habitat and lower production. Stormwater BMPs [Best Management Practices] and Environmental Site Design have not been shown to offset the disruption of ecological functions important to fish production. 

“Maryland’s portion of the Bay watershed has reached the 10 percent (suburban) threshold, where offsetting lost production is beyond the ability of traditional management (harvest regulations and stocking). Conservation of remaining low development watersheds is vital for maintaining recreational and commercial fisheries and the ecological role of yellow perch into the future. There are two very simple messages: ‘More development equals less fish,’ and ‘land conservation equals fish conservation.’” 

Predation is also a threat to yellow perch, and the species is a food source for a variety of fish, including striped bass, chain pickerel, walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern snakehead, and blue catfish. Opportunistic predators, blue catfish are an invasive species that has greatly expanded its range in the Chesapeake Bay. The combined threat of blue catfish and northern snakehead, another invasive species, can contribute to a decline in the yellow perch population. 

Since yellow perch are most vulnerable to predation when they are small, it’s critical to focus on habitat protection and conservation efforts, especially in existing high-quality habitat and spawning areas. It’s also important to understand multispecies interactions, which refer to the relationships between two or more different species living in the same habitat. Creating scenarios, known as multispecies models, can help fisheries biologists and resource managers make more informed management decisions and forecast future conditions. 

Recruitment, the process by which young fish survive the early stages of life and transition into the later stages, also impacts yellow perch. In short, successful recruitment ensures that young fish replenish the number of yellow perch lost naturally to fishing and other factors. This is critical to maintaining Maryland’s commercial and recreational fisheries. Poor recruitment can lead to declines in the population, which is not only detrimental to yellow perch directly but can also affect the overall health of the Bay ecosystem. 

“We know poor recruitment is an issue because there aren’t as many young yellow perch as there used to be,” Kennedy says. “But it’s difficult to get a sense of why this is happening. There are several possible causes, such as development, temperature fluctuations, rainfall, salinity levels, or climate change. Multiple stressors could also contribute to poor recruitment of yellow perch. 

“From a management perspective, we can consider enforcing specific harvest restrictions, such as changing yellow perch size limits for the commercial or recreational fisheries—or both. Or we can protect more females, so they survive to spawn. Our restoration partners can also implement strategies to address ecological issues. The good news is that we have many partners and a lot of tools in the toolbox. So, with the right strategies, yellow perch can rebound—possibly in just a few years.” 

And, of course, climate change is a serious, ongoing threat to yellow perch. Uphoff says the species needs a period of low water temperatures, called a “chill period,” to spawn. Warmer temperatures due to climate change can interfere with the timing and success of spawning. In addition, long-term weather patterns, such as El Niño, La Niña, and the North Atlantic Oscillation, can also affect yellow perch—disrupting spawning and recruitment, which can impact population size and fishery harvests. 

Yellow Perch Studies 

Since the 1960s, the Magothy River Association (MRA), a nonprofit all-volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the Magothy River and its watershed, has led efforts to restore the yellow perch population. In the 1980s, the MRA partnered with Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) to undertake an innovative project to help reestablish yellow perch in the Magothy River. According to Paul Spadaro, president, MRA, after collecting yellow perch sperm and eggs from the Sassafras River, fertilizing them in Magothy water, and transplanting them upstream of Catherine Avenue, a resurgence of yellow perch occurred. 

During the past several decades, the MRA has continued to study yellow perch. Since 2015, the organization has partnered with AACC to conduct yellow perch surveys. Volunteers count egg sacs every spring, typically during the last week of February and the first week of March. The stretch of the Magothy River from Catherine Avenue upstream to Lake Waterford Dam is the main spawning area. This 3,300-foot area is designated as a protected yellow perch spawning corridor. Fishing is not permitted in the corridor from February to May. 

“Our surveys provide useful information to help protect yellow perch in the Magothy River,” Spadaro says. “We are fortunate that the river still has a robust yellow perch population and the habitat to support it. The spawning area in the upper Magothy has low imperviousness, and it deserves to be preserved. Our volunteers are passionate about the Magothy River, and the work we do is definitely a reason to wake up in the morning and keep moving forward.” 

In addition, the MRA partners with the DNR on numerous research, monitoring, and restoration projects. 

Recreational Fishing Opportunities 

Yellow perch are highly sought-after fish in Maryland, and they are readily available to recreational anglers. Since the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem sustains them year round, the species offers many opportunities for fishing. 

For anglers who are excited to head out to the water and cast their lines, Sikorski recommends the following yellow perch hotspots: the Patuxent, Choptank, Tuckahoe, Wicomico, and Chester rivers, and Deep Creek Lake. 

In addition, the DNR has partnered with Anne Arundel County Public Library to provide fishing poles for loan from the Deale, Eastport-Annapolis Neck, Edgewater, Mountain Road, and Severna Park libraries—a great opportunity for first-time recreational anglers who don’t have fishing gear. 

“Yellow perch are beautiful fish,” Sikorski says. “Their vibrant colors—various shades of yellow and reddish orange—look amazing when set against the drab, brown shore. For many Marylanders, fishing for yellow perch is an important part of their childhood memories, so it’s exciting for them to pass this tradition on to their children. We need to conserve this species—not only to protect the future of our fisheries but also to ensure anglers’ access to this beloved fish.” 

To Learn More…