Sunfish Fishing in Louisiana for Bluegills, Bream, Warmouth, White Bass and Other LA Panfish.

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

Panfish make a good fish fry. They also make a hearty meal for all the larger fish in the water where they live. As a primary food source, they are virtually in all fishing waters in the state. Fish for them in private ponds, bayous, rivers, streams and major lakes including Anacoco Lake, Black Bayou Lake, Caddo Lake, Caney Creek Reservoir, Catahoula Lake, Cheniere Brake Lake, Cocodrie Lake, Corney Lake, Cross Lake, Cypress Bayou Reservoir, Grand Lake, Iatt Lake, Lac des Allemands, Lake Bistineau, Lake Bruin, Lake Claiborne, Lake Henderson, Lake Maurepas, Lake Palourde, Lake Rodemacher, Lake Salvador, Lake Verret, Saline Lake (Clarence), Sibley Lake, Toledo Bend, Turkey Creek Lake, Vernon Lake and Wallace Lake.

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. Bream is a name commonly used for most sunfish. 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 Louisiana bluegill fishing articles in the articles section.

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

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 Louisiana Fishing home page.

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LA Sunfish Fishing - All About Fishing for Bluegill, Bream & Other Panfish in Louisiana.

4 lbs - 12 oz

1 lbs - 8 oz

60 - 85 Degrees

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