Casting a New Line with Yellow Perch
Expanding fishing opportunities for Alberta's anglers
There’s nothing quite like the joy of casting a line, waiting for that familiar tug that signals a catch, reeling it in to keep or admire and let it go. To help support this beloved pastime, Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) annually stocks over 100,000 catchable-sized (i.e., 20 cm) rainbow, brook, brown, and tiger trout into over 60 ponds each year, creating “put-and-take fisheries.” Most ACA-stocked ponds are close to urban centres, making them popular family destinations. While trout are an exciting and easy to catch variety, their decreasing suitability for stocking into some of our ponds has led ACA to explore alternative species that are more tolerant of low/poor water quality.
Enter yellow perch!
In 2021, ACA identified several ACA-stocked trout ponds as candidates for perch transfers from nearby waterbodies. Yellow perch was proposed as a candidate species for stocking as they are more tolerant of low dissolved oxygen and high temperatures and are native to the range that our ponds occupy. Anglers have also shown a strong interest in yellow perch angling opportunities in Alberta.
ACA and the Government of Alberta collaborated to ensure this project’s success. After careful consideration of the appropriate donor populations and necessary approvals, the first successful transfer was completed in 2024 at Legal Reservoir. We hope to do more transfers in the future to further diversify angling opportunities in Alberta.
Your hunting and fishing licence purchases directly support meaningful projects like the yellow perch transfers. Together, we’re ensuring Alberta’s fisheries are vibrant and sustainable for future generations to enjoy. So, get out there – it’s time to cast your line into Alberta’s ever-expanding fishing opportunities!
Partnerships
- Government of Alberta


