Guide To Popular Panfish Fishing Options In California

All about fishing for panfish in CA lakes and ponds.

Throughout the state of California you can find waters with populations of sunfish, including bluegill, green sunfish, pumpkinseed sunfish, redear sunfish, tilapia, warmouth and white bass.

Panfish Lakes

One or more species of sunfish populate virtually all warm water streams, ponds and lakes throughout California, and around the world for that matter.

Some of the Northern CA major laked that hold panfish include Bucks Lake, Clear Lake, Clear Lake Reservoir, Copco Lake, Folsom Lake, Lake Almanor, Lake Berryessa, Lake Combie, Lake Mendocino, Lake Oroville, Lake Pillsbury, New Bullards Bar Reservoir, Shasta Lake, Trinity Lake and Whiskeytown Lake.

In Central CA try your panfish skills at Bass Lake, California Delta, Crowley Lake, H. V. Eastman Lake, Hensley Lake, Jenkensin Lake, Lake Don Pedro, Lake Cachuma, Lake Camanche, Lake Del Valle, Lake Kaweah, Lake McClure, Lake Sonoma, Lake Tulloch, Lake Nacimiento, Millerton Lake, New Hogan Lake, New Melones Lake, Pine Flat Lake, San Luis Reservoir, San Pablo Reservoir, Shaver Lake, Success Lake and The California Delta.

For panfish in Southern CA try Barrett Lake, Big Bear Lake, Canyon Lake, Diamond Valley Lake, El Capitan Reservoir, Laguna Niguel Lake, Lake Cahuilla, Lake Hemet, Lake Elsinore, Lake Havasu, Lake Hodges, Lake Perris, Lake Piru, Lake Sutherland, Littlerock Reservoir, Lower Otay Lake, Pyramid Lake, San Vicente Reservoir, Silverwood Lake and Skinner Reservoir.

Top Producing Panfish Lures & Bait

Check out the top producing lures and bait for bluegill, redear sunfish, rock bass and warmouth, as well as other smaller sunfish. Click here for the best lures for white bass, yellow bass, white perch and yellow perch.

Click the images and links above for species details.

The state record bluegill was taken out of Rancho Murieta Reservoir.

A private pond near Bella Vista produced the state record green sunfish.

The state record hybrid sunfish was served up by Rancho Seco Lake.

The state record pumpkinseed sunfish was caught from Mountain Meadows Reservoir.

Lake Havasu was home to the state record redear sunfish.

The state record talapia came out of Palo Verde Lagoon.

Hensley Lake delivered up the state record warmouth.

Ferguson Lake produced the state record white bass.

These panfish can survive in waters that provide their natural food source of minnows, insects, crustaceans and worms. Their competitive nature amongst themselves, for food, makes them relatively easy to catch.

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 term "panfish" comprises many species, each called by a variety of names. The bluegill tops the list and is the most common.

Bluegill Fishing Basics Video

The core principles shown in this video will work for most sunfish, perch and other panfish.

Sunfish information in other states.