James Lucas Yeo (1782-1818) was a British Naval commander who served in the War of 1812.

Yeo was born in Southampton October 7, 1782 and joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman at the age of 10. He first saw action as a lieutenant aboard a brig in the Adriatic Sea, and distinguished himself during the siege of Cesenatico in 1800. He participated in several sea battles during the Napoleonic Wars so successfully that he was made a captain at the age of 25. In 1810, he was knighted for his services and three years later was sent to America to command the British naval forces in the Great Lakes during the War of 1812.

Sir James's use of his small navy was always determined and skillful, but he was hampered by a lack of cooperation from the British army. The timid commander of these forces, Sir George Prevost, failed to follow up key advances made by Sir James at Sackett's Harbour and elsewhere that might have resulted in major British victories. On the whole, historians regard the war on Lake Ontario as having been a draw.

After the British-American War, Yeo held important commands on the West African and Caribbean stations, but saw no further action. He died in 1818 at the age of 35, while returning from Jamaica to England.