No matter what and where you are fishing, there will be rules and regulations you must adhere to. This doesn’t only prevent you from paying a fine or having your license taken away. Still, it is to maintain the fish population and give anglers fair shares of fishery resources for their enjoyment and benefit. So when fishing for perch, you might be wondering, ‘how big do perch have to be to keep?’
Read on to learn more about what to remember when you fish for perch and if you can keep them.
How Big Do Perch Have to Be to Keep?
The standard length of perch is about 7.5 inches and can be as long as 19.7 inches. Some restrictions need to be put in place to preserve the perch population and ensure that anglers don’t get young perch.
The answer to the length restrictions will depend based on where you plan to fish in! It also depends on the fishing zone, waterbody, the fishing season, and the type of fishing license you have.
In Pennsylvania, there is catch compliance, a 7-inch size limit from December to March, which takes about 3-4 years for perch to reach such sizes.
Or, in Maryland, there is a 9-inch limit to yellow perch and a creel limit of 10 fish daily. White perch doesn’t have a measurement limit if caught using a hook and line but has an 8-inch minimum if fish were caught using other gear.
Besides the length, there are also other limits and regulations, such as possession and catch limits.
For instance, the open season is all year long in Ontario, but you can only catch 50 in one day with a sports license. If you have a conservation license, that number is reduced to 25 a day. But this number can be reduced based on where you can fish in and whether or not you are a resident.
That is why it’s crucial to check with the local rules and regulations for the specific measurements and catch limits, as it widely varies. In general, you will want to make sure that your caught perch measures at least 7-8 inches before bagging it.
Wrapping It Up
Fishing for perch has its limits, and you need to make sure you note the local rules before fishing. When in doubt, it’s best to ask locals and let go of any fish caught, especially when they are less than 7 inches long.
I hope this article helped you learn more about fishing for perch and what size they need to be for you to keep them. Now, the next thing you have to do is figure out what fishing techniques you can use to catch perch successfully! Happy fishing!