Jumbos on Ice: World-Class Yellow Perch at Lake Cascade

• This article on ice fishing is featured in the West edition of the December-January Game & Fish Magazine. Click here to subscribe.

When Idaho Department of Fish and Game biologists stocked yellow perch into Lake Cascade in 2003, they laid the foundation for what would become one of the best perch fisheries on the planet. Just over a decade later, state and world records were falling to the giant perch the reservoir produced. Fish weighing more than 2 pounds–a rarity almost anywhere else–became common.

Now 20 years into this grand experiment, Lake Cascade, located in the scenic mountains of central Idaho approximately 75 miles north of Boise on State Highway 55, attracts anglers from around the world as a destination for trophy perch.

Ice Team member and avid ice-angler Don Cox knows Cascade well. With family in the area, Cox has been targeting big perch on Cascade for several years, and makes an annual trip there with friends.


"This isn't your 'sit down on a spot and wait for a school to come to you' type of lake," says Cox. "You have to find the fish. If you start catching three-quarter pounders left and right, it is time to move. You have to keep moving until you find [big] fish." Cox likes to divide and conquer. He, his family and his friends will all disperse across the lake to find big perch, then come together when large fish are found hanging in an area.

"You have to start fresh each year," he says. "You can't fish memories—those old spots that produced last year. These fish act more like walleyes, with a big single fish here and there prowling their favorite areas. When you see lots of fish on your graph, [you're most likely looking at] small perch—not the big singles that you want."

FIND BIG FISH

Cox recommends examining a lake map to find probable ice-angling locations. Check out old bridges, tributary mouths and flooded timber. You can also find fish cruising flats on the north and south ends of the lake. Dropoff transition edges, valleys and gullies are all good funnels for perch to follow, and you will frequently find schools in these areas, with large fish hanging on the perimeter.

"We like to make big moves to spots, then make small moves on the spot to find exactly where the fish are," Cox says. "If you are fishing alone, set a timer on your phone. If you can't mark a big fish in 15 or 20 minutes, it's time to move on. It usually doesn't take long to know if there are respectable fish nearby. Similarly, if you are catching small fish, it's time to pick up and go. Big perch rule the roost and usually are the aggressors in chasing baits and chasing off small fish."

Cox uses medium- and light-power rods with fast or moderate actions. "You want some power to handle the larger perch or the occasional rainbow trout or pikeminnow," he says. "A stiffer action is useful for really stroking jigs and hard baits. But if things are slow, and some years the bite can be tough, then you want to finesse fish, and a little lighter action helps with bite detection."

When fishing is slow and bites are light, try using a spring bobber or a noodle-tip style rod, or watching the line for subtle movement. Monofilament line in 6- or 8-pound-test works well, as does braid with a short fluorocarbon leader. Cox looks for fish on his Vexilar flasher while his son graphs fish on forward-facing sonar in a circle around the group.

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With holes already drilled in a circle around a structure element, the team can work to pinpoint fish location, then drop on top with flashers. In years with sluggish bites, the team works hard to find fish. Once they do, they fish with more subtlety and patience than when the bite is hot, looking for slight movements as bite indications.

For Cox, it's hard to beat the excitement of big fish on the bite. "Some years, those fish are coming in and there is no doubt they are hitting," Cox says. "They might approach slowly, but they tend to really hammer the bait."

GO-TO BAITS

The diet of yellow perch on Cascade can vary, but historically it has been largely composed of young-of-year perch, commonly called "perch minnows." Some years, mayfly larvae are well-represented. Cascade fish, pulled from depths 20 to 35 feet down, often regurgitate their stomach contents, clueing anglers into what they are feeding on. Hard baits like the Calf Creek Customs Bucking Bronco in yellow perch or fire tiger, which can be found at nearby Valley Bait and Tackle, are good choices. You can also fish flutter spoons and jigging spoons in perch colors; fish big with Clam Tikka Minos and similar glide baits; or downsize on tough bites to Clam Dropkick jigs and small Pinhead Minos. Popular jig dressings include Clam Maki Plastic Scudi and Jamei bodies. Or tip your baits with waxworms or wigglers. Local anglers will often find fish and camp on structure, catching fish roaming through. Flagged tip-ups and Automatic Fisherman units are popular with red wiggler worms as bait.

You can pick up bait and hot lures and get fishing reports and snow and ice conditions from a pair of reliable Cascade tackle shops: the aforementioned Valley Bait and Tackle (208-971-1453) and Tackle Tom's (208-382-4367).

IF YOU GO

Things to keep in mind when planning a Cascade perch adventure

Lake Cascade can be challenging with its mountain climate. Snowfalls are heavy, and mornings are chilly and frosty, with fog typically hanging for a few hours before it burns off. Anglers are best served by using snowmobiles with long and wide tracks that can be counted on to deal with thick snow and slush.

“Most years, the slush is bad,” says Don Cox. “But every once in a while, you get lucky and the ice freezes well or the underlayer of slush freezes. Then you can use four-wheelers and chains. But you have to plan for snow machines.”

Anglers without mountain snowmobiles are serviced by rental opportunities in and around Cascade. Valley Bait and Tackle and Tackle Tom’s offer rentals, as does Mountain Meadow Adventure Rentals (208-325-1500; mountainmeadowrentals.com) in Donnelly, Idaho.

Visiting anglers will be comfortable in a variety of locations. Birch Glen Lodge & Motel (208-382-4238; birchglenlodge.com) offers a fantastic in-town option. Tamarack Resort (208-325-1000; tamarackidaho.com) is a more upscale choice. You also can find a number of places for rent through sites like Airbnb and VRBO, though be advised that many places fill quickly with visiting anglers and are booked as far out as one year.