Distribution of Fishes in the Red River of the North Basin on Multivariate Environmental Gradients

Percidae

Yellow Perch

Perca flavescens (Mitchill), the yellow perch, was collected by Woolman (1896) from the Forest, Maple, and Red Lake Rivers, where it was common in the samples (Figure A71). Olson (1932) reported it from the Buffalo, Red Lake and Wild Rice Rivers in Minnesota; and Deason and Nelson reported it from the Mud and Tamarack Rivers, tributaries to lower Red Lake, in 1938 (UMMZ 1994). Other relatively early records were by Bailey and Allum (1962), who listed it from a site on Lake Traverse in 1949, and Wilson (1950), who reported it from the Sheyenne River north of Valley City. The yellow perch has been taken primarily from the Sheyenne, Otter Tail, Buffalo, Red Lake, and Clearwater Rivers. The yellow perch has been taken at 22% of stream sites sampled in the Red River basin since 1962; but although its distribution is widespread, the species appears to have avoided reaches in the NMW ecoregion, having been found at only 5% of the sites (Table 4). Typical site collections in the basin have contained 3-6 individuals, but samples taken from sites on the Otter Tail River west of Otter Tail Lake have often contained 40-50 specimens.

Figure A71. Distribution of the yellow perch in streams of the Red River of the North basin.

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