Sunfish Fishing in California for Green Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Tilapia, Warmouth, White Bass and Other CA Panfish.

One or more species of sunfish populate virtually all warm water streams, ponds and lakes throughout California and around the world for that matter. They can survive in waters that provide their natural food source of minnows, crustaceans, insects and worms. Their competitive nature amongst themselves for food, makes them relatively easy to catch.

Best Sunfish Fishing Lakes In California.

Some of the major waters that hold panfish in California include Lake Almanor, Lake Berryessa, Bullards Bar Reservoir, Clear Lake, Folsom Lake, Lake Oroville and Lake Shasta in Northern CA. Try your panfish skills at The Delta, Lake Don Pedro, Lake McClure, Millerton Lake, Lake Nacimiento, New Melones Lake and Pine Flat Lake in Central CA. For panfish in Southern CA try Big Bear Lake, Lake Cahuilla, Lake Castaic, El Capitan Lake, Lake Hodges, Laguna Niguel Lake, Lower Otay Lake, Pyramid Lake, San Vicente Lake, Lake Silverwood, Lake Skinner and Lake Sutherland.

The California state record bluegill sunfish was taken out of Lower Otay Reservoir and a private pond near Bella Vista produced the CA syaye record green sunfish. The CA state record pumpkinseed sunfish was caught from Mt. Meadows Reservoir. Folsom So. Canal was home to the state record redear sunfish.

Panfish are prolific spawners and repopulate the waters as fast as they are harvested. A common problem with panfish fishing is that the waters are under-fished causing panfish to overpopulate. As a result they tend to stay small in size due to lack of food source.

The list of panfish is comprised of many fishes each called by a variety of names. The bluegill tops the list and is the most common.

Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirus

Other local jargon names for the bluegill include common yellow perch, sunfish, red-breasted bream, red-spotted sunfish, long-eared sunfish, white bass as well as a host of variations and cross breeds. These fish tend to run in schools and congregate near their food supply. Panfish can be found in depths of 35 feet or more but are more commonly found in one to ten feet depths depending on time of day and weather conditions.

Check for California bluegill fishing articles in the articles section.

Crappie are also considered panfish. For details on crappie visit our crappie fishing section.

Green Sunfish
Lepomis cyanellus
World Record: 2.1 lbs.
A favorite for private and farm ponds, the green sunfish is native to lakes and ponds and prefers heavily vegitated areas. Their diet consists of small invertebrates, insects and larve. Use light line, size 12 hooks and worms, crickets or cut bait. They tend to run in schools so competition for food can make them easy prey for anglers. Prefers water temperatures from 70 to 80 degrees. Also known as a rock bass or goggle-eye.

Pumpkinseed Sunfish
Lepomis gibbosus
World Record: 1.4 lbs
Shaped like a pumpkin seed and often has body coloring similar to a pumpkin color, their favorite habitat is weed-covered lake bottoms in clear water. They prefer water temperatures from 75 to 82 degrees. Also known as punky or common sunfish. Fish for them on light tackle with small hooks using worms, insects, prepared bait and cut bait.

Redear Sunfish
Lepomis microlophus
World Record: 5.4 lbs.
The redear sunfish can be found throughout the warmer states and grows larger than most sunfish. It is typically yellowish on the sides, white on the belly and dark green or brown on the top side. The red stripe alomg the edge of the ear (opercle) is the distinguishing mark for males, and it is orange on females.
Prefers water temperatures from 70 to 80 degrees. Also known as stumpknocker and shellcracker. The usual sunfish baits like worms and grubs work well on light line with small hooks. Rarely doe the redear sunfish rise to take flies and baits off the surface.

Tilapia
Oreochromis aurea
World Record: 4.4 lbs
Most tilapias are omnivorous with a preference for soft aquatic vegetation. They are typically found in warmer waters in the southern states, both east and west. Prefers water temperatures from 70 degrees and above, and has difficulty surviving water temperatures below 50 degrees. Tilapia are of similar size and shape to crappie. Fish for them like you might for bluegills using worms, crickets and dough balls on a size 12 hook.

Warmouth
Lepomis gulosus
World Record: 2.4 lbs
The warmouth sunfish has a larger mouth than most sunfish and can eat larger prey. It is rather golden in color overall, darker greenish on the top side and kighter on the underside, with mottled spotting similar to a crappie. Adult warmouths feed on insects, mollusks, minnows and small fish. They prefer snady bottoms of quiet areas in creeks, streams and rivers and look for heavy vegitation for cover. The warmouth prefers water temperatures from 78 to 86 degrees. It is also known as goggle-eye, stumpknocker, mudgapper and warmouth bass. Fin to catch on ultralight tackle and quite a fight when you hook a fat little two-pounder.

White Bass
Morone chrysops
World Record: 6.8 lbs.
The white bass has silver sides with horizontal dark stripes and is often called sand bass, stripes, barfish and silver bass. They are a good fighter, fun to catch and they tend to run in schools. Often big schools of several hundred or more. Their primary diet is bait fish and other smaller fish but they also eat worms and insects. Fish for the white bass on light tackle with jigs, spoons, minnow-imitation lures and live bait including worms and minnows. White bass often school deep, particularly in summer and winter - moving shallower in spring and fall. Their prefered water temperature range is from 63 to 76 degrees.

For general information on local fishing visit the California Fishing home page.

If you have information, articles or photos relating to sunfish which you would like to see published here, please submit them for consideration. If you offer fishing guide services for Panfish in California we would like to include you as a resource for our visitors. We offer a complimentary listing for your guide service on our California Fishing Guides page or you can see other options to promote your panfish fishing guide services in California by visiting our Advertising opportunities section.

How to submit California fishing articles.

CA Sunfish Fishing - All About Fishing for Bluegill & Other Panfish in California.

4 lbs - 12 oz

3 lbs - 8 oz

60 - 85 Degrees

Prefers slightly stained to murky water with little or no current. Survives in most warm bodies of water.