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sunfish

Sunfish

Kentucky Sunfish Identification

Kentucky is home to a diverse range of sportfish species. Select any fish below to view detailed identification characteristics, habitat information, and key features to help anglers and visitors better recognize each species.

Click on each fish species for more detailed information.

Rock Bass

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.)