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Fish profile · Centrarchidae
Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirus
Bluegill is a small, deep-bodied North American sunfish with a blue cheek and a small mouth. It is frequently stocked in lakes and ponds for recreational fishing. Males build shallow nests and defend the eggs.
Last reviewed 26 October 2026 · 8 sources
- Max length
- 41 cm
- usually 19.1 cm
- Max weight
- 2.2 kg
- IUCN
- LC
- Least Concern
- Family
- Centrarchidae
- order Perciformes
Category from the IUCN Red List, via GBIF (CC BY 4.0); it may lag the latest Red List assessment.
How big?
Linear scale · hand 18 cm
Up to 41 cm and 2.2 kg.
How to identify
- Deep, flattened body
- Small mouth
- Bluish cheek and gill cover
Habitat
Often stocked in freshwater lakes and ponds for sport fishing.
- Diet
- Young fish eat tiny water animals and insects; adults mostly eat insect larvae, with some shrimps, crayfish, snails and small fish.
- Native range
- North America, from Canada south to northern Mexico.
Catching it
- Season
- In the northern US, best in spring and early summer, when bluegill spawn in shallow water.
- Methods
- Fly fishing
- Baits and lures
- WormsCrickets
Sources
Last reviewed 26 October 2026