sunfish

Sunfish

Click on each fish species for more detailed information.

 
Rock Bass
 
  • Color is dark green or brown with brassy yellow flecks
  • 4-5 wide dark saddles over the back and down the sides
  • Often called "redeye" or "goggleye" due to its large, deep red eyes
  • Presence of 5 or 6 spines in the anal fin
  • Adults grow to 17 inches but fish exceeding 12 inches are rare

Green Sunfish 

Green Sunfish
 
  • Large, robust sunfish with a large mouth
  • Irregular stripes of blue coloration on the sides of the head
  • A large black spot is present at the rear of the soft dorsal fin
  • Adults can grow to 12 in. but usually reach 8-10 in.

Warmouth 

Warmouth
 
  • Medium-sized, robust sunfish with a large head and mouth
  • Dark olive to grey in color with brownish sides and yellow markings
  • Dark red-brown lines radiating from the back of the eye
  • Adults can grow to 12 in. but most are less than 10 in.

Bluegill 

Bluegill
 
  • A moderately large, deep bodied sunfish with a small mouth
  • Sides are dark bluish-green with vertical bars
  • The belly is deep orange to rust color
  • Large dark spot is present at the rear of the soft dorsal fin
  • Adults can grow to 16 in. but usually reach 6-11 in.

Longear Sunfish 

Longear Sunfish
 
  • A moderately small sunfish with a deep body and small mouth
  • Bright red-orange and iridescent blue spots on the back and sides, grading to mostly red-orange on the belly
  • Has a long gill or "ear" flap, and wavy blue lines on cheek and gill cover
  • Adults can grow to 9 in. but are usually less than 6 in.

Redear Sunfish 

Redear Sunfish
 
  • A moderately large, deep bodied sunfish with a small mouth with relatively long, pointed snout and small mouth
  • Adult males have a red margin on the gill cover flap while females have a light orange flap
  • Adults can grow to 15 in. but usually reach 8-11 in.

Smallmouth Bass 

Smallmouth Bass
 
  • A large, slender fish with a moderately large mouth
  • Brown or bronze colored on its sides with 3-5 dark lines radiating back from the eye
  • Frequently have 10-15 faint vertical bars on the sides
  • Most adults are in the 10-20 in. (1-4 lbs.) range and seldom exceed 7 lbs. in size

Spotted Bass 

Spotted Bass
 
  • Similar to largemouth bass but is distinguished by having horizontal rows of small black spots on the lower side in adults
  • Circular patch of teeth present on the tongue
  • Most adults are in the 10-15 in. (1-3 lb.) range, but can grow to about 24 in. (8 lbs.)

Largemouth Bass 

Largemouth Bass
 
  • A large slender fish with a large mouth
  • Greenish in color with a horizontal stripe of black blotches along the sides
  • The upper jaw extends far beyond the rear margin of the eye in adults
  • Most adults are in the 12-20 in. (1-5 lb.) range, but can grow to at least 22 lbs.

White Crappie 

White Crappie
 
  • A silvery sunfish with a deep body that is very thin from side to side
  • Color is dark olive on the back and silver on the sides, with several dark vertical bars (often faint)
  • The dorsal fin has 6 spines
  • Adults can grow to 21 in. (5 lbs.) but most range from 8-15 in. (1-2 lbs.)

Black Crappie 

Black Crappie
 
  • Silvery olive in color with numerous black spots irregularly spaced over its body
  • The dorsal fin has 7-8 spines
  • Black crappie are thicker than white crappie across the back
  • Adults can grow to 19 in. (6 lbs.) but most range from 8-15 in. (1-2 lbs.)