Sunfish Fishing in Florida for Flier Sunfish, Redbreast Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Spotted Sunfish, Warmouth, White Bass and Other FL Panfish.

One or more species of sunfish populate virtually all warm water streams, ponds and lakes throughout Florida 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.

Sunfish Lakes In Florida

Blue Cypress Lake, Crescent Lake, Crooked Lake, Deerpoint Lake, East Lake Tohopekaliga, Jim Woodruff Reservoir, Lake Apopka, Lake Conlin, Lake Eustis, Lake George, Lake Griffin, Lake Harris, Lake Harney, Lake Hatchineha, Lake Istokpoga, Lake Jessup, Lake Kissimmee, Lake Marian, Lake Miccosukee, Lake Monroe, Lake Newnan, Lake Okeechobee, Lake Talquin, Lake Tohopekaliga, Lake Wier, Lake Weohyakapka, Lochloosa Lake, Orange Lake, St. John's River and Tsala Apopka Lake are just some of the major FL lakes with healthy populations of panfish.

Also try private ponds, slow-moving creeks and rivers and many of the smaller lakes spotted all over Flotida.

The Florida state record bluegill was caught out of Crystal Lake and Iamonia Lake produced the FL state record flier sunfish. The Suwannee River gave up the state record redbreast sunfish and Merritt Pond boasts the state record for redear sunfish. The Florida stste record spotted sunfish came out of the Suwannee River. The Yellow River served up the FL state record warmouth.

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 Florida bluegill fishing articles in the articles section.

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

Flier Sunfish
Centrarchus macropterus
World Record: 1.25 lbs
Prefers rivers and weedy lakes with water temperatures from 72 to 85 degrees. The flier sunfish is a favorite for private ponds and is also commonly called pond flier, millpond flier and round sunfish. Its diet can include insects and small invertebrates. Like all sunfish, use worms, crickets, cut bait or salmon eggs on size 12 hooks. Can be taken on flies and is fun to catch on ultralight equipment.

Redbreast Sunfish
Lepomis auritus
World Record: 1.7 lbs.
The males are quite colorful with red, orange or yellow breasts with dark green upper bodies. Females are colored the same but in drab shades of the same colors. They prefers water temperatures ranging from 76 to 84 degrees. Redear sunfish are also commonly called longear bream, redbreasted bream and yellowbreast bream. Worms, larve, crickets, insects, cut bait and prepared bait all work well on small hooks and light line.

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.

Spotted Sunfish
Lepomis punctatus
Green on the top and often reddish to brown on the lower sides, they have a dark or black ear covering which looks like a black spot. The spotted sunfish naturally inhabits streams, creeks and rivers. They prefer areas with gravel or sand and plenty of vegetation. Their favorite foods include invertebrates, insects and small fishes but will feed on virtually anything edible including plants. They will also rise to feed on the sirface. The spotted sunfish prefers water temperatures from 70 to 89 degrees. They are small but quite good eating. Fish for them with ultra-light tackle using virtually anything edible as bait on very small hooks.

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 Florida Fishing home page.

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FL Sunfish Fishing - All About Fishing for Bluegill & Other Panfish in Florida.

4 lbs - 12 oz

2 lbs - 15 oz

60 - 85 Degrees

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