Sunfish
Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirus — also called Bream, Brim, Sun perch
The fish that taught most of us how to fish. Bluegill are universally abundant, eager to bite, and excellent table fare. Trophy bluegill (10"+) are surprisingly specific in their habitat — deep weed edges in the cleanest water you can find.
- Range
- Lower 48, native everywhere east of the Rockies, stocked everywhere else.
- Size
- Typical 5–8"; trophy 10"+; world record 4 lb 12 oz.
- Spawn temp
- 68–75°F
- Best seasons
- Late spring, Summer, Early fall
Best baits for bluegill
- Red worm under bobber
- Cricket
- Small popper / sponge spider (fly)
- 1/32 oz jig
- Wax worm
Season by season
Spring
Pre-spawn fish hold off bedding flats in 6–10 ft. Then they move shallow to spawn — and the action goes nuclear.
Summer
Bigger bluegill push to deep weed lines (10–15 ft). Smaller fish stay shallow. For trophies, fish deeper than feels right.
Fall
Roam main-lake basins eating zooplankton. Tougher to pattern but they feed heavily before winter.
Winter
Schooled tight in deep basins (15–25 ft). Ice fishing classic — tiny tungsten jigs tipped with wax worms.
Local secret
Find spawning beds in late spring — colonies of dinner-plate-sized depressions in 2–4 ft of sand or pea gravel near cover. Best beginner fishing on earth.
Top US waters for bluegill
- Lake Havasu, AZ
- Ketona Lake, AL (record water)
- Almost any farm pond in America
- Mille Lacs, MN (giants)
- Lake Okeechobee, FL
Want a real-time pattern for your lake?
Open fishtrapp.app and ask ZIP — our AI fishing guide pulls live conditions, water-body data, and lake-specific patterns for any US water in seconds.
Open the app