White PerchorYellow Perch
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
White Perch
Silvery with an olive back and no bars; deep, compressed body; spiny and soft dorsal fins joined at the base.
White perch, next to yellow perch: silvery, no vertical bars.
Yellow Perch
Six to eight dark vertical bars on gold-olive sides; two separate dorsal fins; orange-red lower fins on spring males.
Yellow perch, next to white perch: gold with dark vertical bars.
Side by side
| White Perch | Yellow Perch | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Morone americana | Perca flavescens |
| Also called | Perch | Perch, Ringed perch, Lake perch |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | 3 lb 1 oz · New York (2023) | — |
| On the table | Very good — small, sweet fillets. | Excellent — sweet, flaky; the classic fish fry. |
| Rules of its own in | 5 states | 1 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 5 of 5 states with a rule for either. In Maryland, white perch is None by hook and line (8" min by other gear), No daily limit and yellow perch is 9" min, 5 per person per day. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | White Perch: size · bag · season | Yellow Perch: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 7" min30 per angler per dayYear-roundOpenCT DEEP 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Delaware | 8" minNo daily limitYear-roundOpenDE DNREC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Maryland | None by hook and line (8" min by other gear)No daily limitYear-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked | 9" min5 per person per dayYear-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked |
| Massachusetts | 8" min25 per dayYear-roundOpenMA DMF 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| New Hampshire | No size limit25 per dayYear-roundOpenNH F&G 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, white perch or yellow perch, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell white perch from yellow perch?
White Perch: Silvery with an olive back and no bars; deep, compressed body; spiny and soft dorsal fins joined at the base. Yellow Perch: Six to eight dark vertical bars on gold-olive sides; two separate dorsal fins; orange-red lower fins on spring males. Yellow perch, next to white perch: gold with dark vertical bars. White perch, next to yellow perch: silvery, no vertical bars.
Which is better to eat, white perch or yellow perch?
White Perch: Very good — small, sweet fillets. Yellow Perch: Excellent — sweet, flaky; the classic fish fry.
Do white perch and yellow perch have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 5 state rulebooks. Maryland: white perch None by hook and line (8" min by other gear), No daily limit, yellow perch 9" min, 5 per person per day; Connecticut: white perch 7" min, 30 per angler per day, yellow perch no rule of its own; Delaware: white perch 8" min, No daily limit, yellow perch no rule of its own; Massachusetts: white perch 8" min, 25 per day, yellow perch no rule of its own; New Hampshire: white perch No size limit, 25 per day, yellow perch no rule of its own.