Regarding Yellow Perch in Wild Goose Pond

I was fishing for bass this afternoon (June 17) with a crank bait in Wild Goose Pond at Big Creek Park and caught a perch. (See attached photo.) The perch could not fit the lure in its mouth but rather hooked itself in the gill plate while attacking the lure. The perch was returned to the pond alive and well.

My questions are:

1. How is it possible that there are perch in Wild Goose Pond? (Perch usually require deep cold water. I know there are perch in Best Lake, but Best is much larger and deep.)

2. How deep is Wild Goose Pond?

3. Did the park district know there are perch in Wild Goose Pond? (If not, now you do.)

Thank you for your time.

1. This is a hard question to answer. Sometimes we never know where, when and how fishes come to be found in our ponds. Remember, though, that yellow perch are found naturally in many lakes and ponds throughout Ohio. We have them in a few natural lakes here at Geauga Park District that we never stock. Perch do just fine in shallow bodies of water with vegetation. So, to answer your question: Yellow Perch may have arrived by any one, or multiple, of these routes: a) naturally (the help of waterbirds, another upstream flow, etc.), b) a park patron donated a few to our pond, or c) a fish accidentally came in with our annual bass/bluegill stocking.
2. Probably around 8-10 feet deep.
3. Yes, Yellow Perch are common in many of our lakes and ponds. Thanks for the information, and good luck fishing!

-Park Biologist Paul Pira