Sunfish Fishing in Kentucky for Bluegills, Green Sunfish, Longear Sunfish, Redbreast Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Rock Bass, Warmouth, White Bass, Yellow Bass, Yellow Perch and Other KY Panfish.

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

Lakes In Kentucky For Quality Sunfish

It might be difficult to find a lake in KY that doesn't have panfish of one kind or another. Healthy populations of panfish can be found in major impoundments including Barren River Lake, Cave Run Lake, Dale Hollow Lake, Green River Lake, Herrington Lake, Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, Lake Cumberland, Laurel River Lake, Nolin River Lake, Rough River Lake, Taylorsville Lake and Yatesville Lake. Private ponds are notorious for serving up nice sunfish and bluegills. Small lakes, ponds, rivers and streams also have populations of panfish.

The Kentucky state record bluegill was caught out of a strip mine lake. The state record green sunfish, warmouth and redear sunfish all came from private ponds. Marsh Creek yielded the state record redbreast sunfish and Kentucky Lake hoplds the state record for yellow perch.

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 Kentucky 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.

Longear Sunfish
Lepomis megalotis
World Record: 1.75 lbs.
Anglers love the longear sunfish for several reasons. They feed on the surface making them vulnerable to fly fishermen, they are easy for kids to catch on worms or cut baits and they make great bait for larger predator fish. The longear sunfis prefers water temperatures from 75 to 80 degreesand is sometimes called red-belly bream, red perch, blackear and red bream. Use ultralight tackle, they'll eat just about anything edible.

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.

Rock Bass
Ambloplites rupestris
World Record: 3.0 lbs.
Native to the eastern half of the USA, the rock bass is good eating and fun to catch on light tackle or a fly rod. You can find rock bass in streams and rivers where they prefer clear water eith rocky bottom and vegetation. They feed primarily on smaller fish, insects, and crustaceans. Worms, grubs and cut bait work well. The rock bass, aka goggle-eye, green sunfish and sometimes branch perch, prefers water temperatures from 64 to 72 degrees.

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.

Yellow Bass
Morone mississippiensis
World Record: 4.2 lbs
Often referred to as stripers or stripies, the yellow bass is generally silver or golden on the sides with yellow bellies and dark horizontal stripes. They are found in most states from the Mississippi River east and a few western states. The yellow bass prefer water temperatures ranging from 55 to 67 degrees and remain active in warmer, and sometimes colder water.They average about half a pound and tend to run in schools. Use spoons, spinners, or live minnows and experiment with depth until you find their comfort zone for the day. Light tackle is ideal.

Yellow Perch
Perca flavescens
USA Record: 3.75 lbs
Possibly the best tasting of all the panfish, yellow perch are a favorite for fish frys. They are generally yellow, to gold, to brown in color and most often lighter shades of these colors. Dark vertical bands decorate their sides. They average about a third of a pound and 6 inches long, many larger ones are often caught as well. They are often mis-named as perch, rock perch and many others. Their primary diet consists of minnows and other small fish, onsects and worms. Yellow perch prefer water temperatures from 66 to 70 degrees but remain active in temperatures outside this range. They are fun to catch on ultralight tackle and can be caught year round. They are a favorite of many ice fishing enthusiasts. Use worms, minnows, small jigs. spinners or cut bait.

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

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KY Sunfish Fishing - All About Fishing for Bluegill & Other Panfish in Kentucky.

4 lbs - 12 oz

4 lbs - 3 oz

60 - 85 Degrees

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