The yellow perch is a bright and yellow-colored fish that have dark, vertical bars on their sides. You can find them all-year-round in the waters, though you are best targeting them during their spawning period. This is when they are in schools, giving you more of a chance to get a bite.
So, when do yellow perch spawn in Maryland? Read on as I talk about when they spawn and a quick rundown of their spawning process.
When Do Yellow Perch Spawn in Maryland?
One of the earliest fish to spawn in the state is the yellow perch, which is found in tidal rivers and the local lakes. It’s the reason why you can find numerous anglers fishing as early as February to see if they can get a bite of the yellow perch!
Timing and temperature are key to identify when yellow perch spawn. The fish species would begin spawning once the waters reach between 42-44 degrees.
The waters reach such temperatures during late February until late March, though this depends on the area’s cold fronts or any warm spells. A cold front may push staging perch to deeper waters, while warming waters would speed up the spawning process, with yellow perch being in and out quickly.
When this time comes, females will then make the run up into rivers, guts, and tidal streams and drop their eggs, then going back out when the eggs have been fertilized by male yellow perch.
The egg strings are sticky and gelatinous, adhering to brush, stickups, weeds, among other forms of debris. Besides the timing of their spawning, his is what makes their process unique.
This entire process takes only up to three days, though there are pulses or waves of yellow perch groups that enter the waters to spawn and drop back once done. They rest in deeper waters afterward.
With a lot of overlap, skilled yellow perch anglers in Maryland would put more efforts during the early springtime, when they would experience a “peak” spawn time in particular estuaries or rivers.
So it’s safe to say that yellow perch spawn between late February to March. But besides thinking about WHEN to head on to the waters to catch yellow perch spawning for better chances of catching one, think about the weather and water temperatures.
Read More: When Do White Perch Spawn In Louisiana? The Answers Here!
Do you want to learn more about yellow perch and their spawning behavior? Check out this informative video about these fish species:
Wrapping It Up
When you’re planning to fish for yellow perch, the best times to do so is when they spawn. What makes them more unique compared to other fish species is that they start to spawn during colder water temperatures. That’s why you can find them spawning as early as February until March!
I hope that this article answered your question, “when do yellow perch spawn in Maryland?” Now that you know the answer, make sure to focus more on the earlier months when targeting this fish species!
