PERCH
Among the many treasures that the beautiful Lago di Garda has to offer, including high mountains, olive groves, and lush vineyards, delicious freshwater fish are plentiful and several of the tastiest varieties include the rare Lake Garda carp, as well as trout, eel, pike, tench, carp and perch. Perch, with its delicate flavor, firm but flaky flesh and low fat content, remains a favorite catch for fisherman, locals and tourists.
The perch lives in permanent shoals near aquatic plants or rocks and they are quite proficient at adapting to a variety of habitats and varying water temperatures, which, of course, makes sense in Lago di Garda, considering its the largest (area 143 square miles) of the Italian lakes, bordering
Lombardy (southwest and west), Veneto (east and southeast), and Trentino-Alto Adige (north).
The perch spawns at the end of April or beginning of May, depositing it upon weeds, or the branches of trees or shrubs that have become immersed in the water. They can range from half a pound to 3 pounds per fish. Smaller perch tend to be best broiled or sautéed, while larger perch do well poached,
steamed or baked.
About 5,000 across the Ocean in another lake - Lake Michigan, perch also swim. The Yellow perch tend to be smaller and paler than their European counterparts. The Yellow Perch lives in schools in deep water, and moves
into shallower areas to feed at dawn and dusk. It is a sport and food fish and is harvested commercially in parts of Canada and the Great Lakes.
Perch have become a mainstay of the lower Great Lakes commercial fishery. In Lake Michigan, the perch catch averaged a respectable 2.4 million pounds a year from the time the first records were kept in 1889 through 1970.
Lake Michigan is the third largest of the Great Lakes and the sixth largest lake in the world. Bordered by Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin it is the only one of the Great Lakes that lies completely within the borders of the United States. Lake Michigan's surface is approximately 580 feet above sea level, with a surface area of 22,300 square miles. Lake Michigan is 307 miles long and 118 miles wide with 1,660 miles of shoreline consisting largely of sand and pebble beaches. Lake Michigan averages 279 feet deep and reaches 925 feet at its deepest part.
Although commercial perch fishing has declined with supply, there are still ample perch in smaller lakes and deeper waters of Lake Michigan for sportsmen and the perch caught there are particularly succulent and sweet when fried or served at a classic summer fish boil. These local treasures approximate the delicacy of the local perch in Lago di Garda and should be eaten with the same passion and respect for tradition
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