Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirus
One of the most common and accessible panfish in North America, the bluegill is often a young angler's first catch. Its round, flattened body and dark ear flap make it easy to identify, and it readily bites on worms, crickets, and small jigs around docks and vegetation.
Docks, weed beds, and shallow warm water in ponds and lakes.
Bluegill Habitat & Size
Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) is associated with pond water and lake water in the species record. Habitat information describes the species, not permission to fish for it. The recorded average size is approximately 7.5 inches; individual sizes vary.
Recorded Waters for Bluegill
FishFinder links Bluegill to water records in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These associations may reflect documented presence, seasonal runs, or historical stocking, not angler catch reports or current abundance. Read the linked water guides and source notes for evidence dates and reaches.
Bluegill Fishing Regulations & Limits
A recorded association does not establish that targeting or retaining Bluegill is permitted. Confirm current species protections, seasonal and emergency closures, reach-specific rules, gear restrictions, bag and size limits with the responsible fisheries authority before fishing. A fishing license does not override these restrictions. FishFinder's regulation records may be incomplete; missing rules do not mean unrestricted fishing.
Related Water Guides for Bluegill
Explore these FishFinder water guides for places where Bluegill is recorded:
- Everglades — recorded Bluegill association
- Rideau Lakes — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Guntersville — recorded Bluegill association
- Wheeler Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Wilson Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Pickwick Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Weiss Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lay Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Logan Martin Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Neely Henry Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Martin — recorded Bluegill association
- R.L. Harris Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Yates Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Thurlow Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Walter F. George Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- West Point Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Lewis Smith Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Alabama River — recorded Bluegill association
- Mobile-Tensaw Delta — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Jackson (Florala) — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Powell — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Mead — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Havasu — recorded Bluegill association
- Colorado River — recorded Bluegill association
- Theodore Roosevelt Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Canyon Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Saguaro Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Bartlett Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Pleasant — recorded Bluegill association
- Alamo Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Upper Lake Mary — recorded Bluegill association
- Bull Shoals Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Norfork — recorded Bluegill association
- Beaver Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Greers Ferry Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Ouachita — recorded Bluegill association
- DeGray Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Greeson — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Dardanelle — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Chicot — recorded Bluegill association
- Buffalo National River — recorded Bluegill association
- Caddo River — recorded Bluegill association
- Eleven Point River — recorded Bluegill association
- Arkansas River — recorded Bluegill association
- Lower Mississippi River — recorded Bluegill association
- Clear Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Shasta Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Oroville — recorded Bluegill association
- Folsom Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Berryessa — recorded Bluegill association
- San Luis Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- New Melones Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Diamond Valley Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Sonoma — recorded Bluegill association
- Pine Flat Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Castaic Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta — recorded Bluegill association
- Colorado River (California) — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Cahuilla — recorded Bluegill association
- Bantam Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lums Pond — recorded Bluegill association
- Becks Pond — recorded Bluegill association
- Killens Pond — recorded Bluegill association
- Trap Pond — recorded Bluegill association
- Records Pond — recorded Bluegill association
- Concord Pond — recorded Bluegill association
- Silver Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Andrews Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Garrisons Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Coursey Pond — recorded Bluegill association
- Wagamons Pond — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Okeechobee — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Kissimmee — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Tohopekaliga — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake George — recorded Bluegill association
- St. Johns River — recorded Bluegill association
- Rodman Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Harris — recorded Bluegill association
- Santa Fe River — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Seminole — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Talquin — recorded Bluegill association
- Perdido River — recorded Bluegill association
- St. Marys River — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Jackson (Walton County) — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Ida — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Lanier — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Hartwell — recorded Bluegill association
- Clarks Hill Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Blackshear — recorded Bluegill association
- Wailua Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Wahiawā Reservoir (Lake Wilson) — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Lowell — recorded Bluegill association
- Mississippi River (Illinois-Iowa Border) — recorded Bluegill association
- Wabash River — recorded Bluegill association
- Fox Chain O'Lakes — recorded Bluegill association
- Braidwood Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Clinton Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Sangchris Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Decatur — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Springfield — recorded Bluegill association
- Coffeen Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Carlyle Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Rend Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Kinkaid Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Crab Orchard Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- White River — recorded Bluegill association
- Tippecanoe River — recorded Bluegill association
- Monroe Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Patoka Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Brookville Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Cecil M. Harden Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Cagles Mill Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Mississinewa Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Salamonie Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- J. Edward Roush Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Turtle Creek Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Wawasee — recorded Bluegill association
- Webster Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Geist Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- West Okoboji Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Spirit Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Clear Lake (Iowa) — recorded Bluegill association
- Storm Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Big Creek Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Pleasant Creek Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Rathbun — recorded Bluegill association
- Saylorville Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Red Rock — recorded Bluegill association
- Coralville Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Mississippi River (Iowa Waters) — recorded Bluegill association
- Milford Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Wilson Reservoir (Kansas) — recorded Bluegill association
- Cheney Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Clinton Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Perry Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- El Dorado Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Kanopolis Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Glen Elder Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Tuttle Creek Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Melvern Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Cedar Bluff Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Council Grove Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Marion Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Pomona Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Hillsdale Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Big Hill Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- John Redmond Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Lovewell Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Kentucky Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Barkley — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Cumberland — recorded Bluegill association
- Dale Hollow Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Barren River Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Cave Run Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Green River Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Taylorsville Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Nolin River Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Rough River Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Laurel River Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Grayson Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Buckhorn Lake (Kentucky) — recorded Bluegill association
- Dewey Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Fishtrap Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Yatesville Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Herrington Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Kentucky River — recorded Bluegill association
- Elkhorn Creek — recorded Bluegill association
- Green River — recorded Bluegill association
- Toledo Bend Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Caddo Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Sabine River — recorded Bluegill association
- Poverty Point Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- False River — recorded Bluegill association
- Eagle Lake (Louisiana) — recorded Bluegill association
- John K. Kelly-Grand Bayou Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Bussey Brake — recorded Bluegill association
- D'Arbonne Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Atchafalaya Basin — recorded Bluegill association
- Lac des Allemands — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Verret — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Bistineau — recorded Bluegill association
- Cross Lake (Louisiana) — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Claiborne — recorded Bluegill association
- Chicot Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Black Lake (Louisiana) — recorded Bluegill association
- Red River (Louisiana) — recorded Bluegill association
- Ouachita River — recorded Bluegill association
- Henderson Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Deep Creek Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Youghiogheny River Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Potomac River (Upper) — recorded Bluegill association
- Monocacy River — recorded Bluegill association
- Liberty Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Loch Raven Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Prettyboy Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Piney Run Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Little Seneca Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- St. Mary's Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Conowingo Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Triadelphia Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Rocky Gap Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Onota Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- South Pond (Quacumquasit Pond) — recorded Bluegill association
- Congamond Lakes — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Chaubunagungamaug — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Cochituate — recorded Bluegill association
- Houghton Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Gull Lake (Michigan) — recorded Bluegill association
- Gun Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Hudson — recorded Bluegill association
- Leech Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Vermilion — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Winnibigoshish — recorded Bluegill association
- Gull Lake Chain — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Minnetonka — recorded Bluegill association
- Whitefish Chain — recorded Bluegill association
- Pelican Lake (St. Louis County) — recorded Bluegill association
- Basswood Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Pepin — recorded Bluegill association
- Red River of the North — recorded Bluegill association
- Big Stone Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Ross Barnett Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Grenada Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Sardis Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Enid Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Arkabutla Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Pickwick Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway — recorded Bluegill association
- Eagle Lake (Mississippi) — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Washington — recorded Bluegill association
- Moon Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Choctaw Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Davis Lake (Chickasaw County) — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Lamar Bruce — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Monroe — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Okhissa — recorded Bluegill association
- Calling Panther Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Neshoba County Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Tangipahoa (Percy Quin State Park) — recorded Bluegill association
- Pascagoula River — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Bogue Homa — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake of the Ozarks — recorded Bluegill association
- Harry S. Truman Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Table Rock Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Bull Shoals Lake (Missouri) — recorded Bluegill association
- Norfork Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Stockton Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Pomme de Terre Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Mark Twain Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Smithville Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Wappapello Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Long Branch Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Thomas Hill Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Montrose Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Mississippi River (Pools 20-26) — recorded Bluegill association
- Merritt Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Elwood Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Branched Oak Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Wanahoo — recorded Bluegill association
- Lewis and Clark Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Box Butte Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Smith Lake WMA — recorded Bluegill association
- Pelican Lake (Valentine NWR) — recorded Bluegill association
- Flanagan Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Zorinsky Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Grove Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Two Rivers SRA — recorded Bluegill association
- Wagon Train Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Prairie Queen Recreation Area — recorded Bluegill association
- Johnson Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Maloney — recorded Bluegill association
- Willow Creek Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Massabesic Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Merrimack River (New Hampshire) — recorded Bluegill association
- Greenwood Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Mercer Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Assunpink Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Parvin Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Manasquan Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Union Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Cochiti Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Otisco Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Oneida Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Black Lake (New York) — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Chatuge — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Santeetlah — recorded Bluegill association
- Fontana Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake James — recorded Bluegill association
- High Rock Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- B. Everett Jordan Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Shearon Harris Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Gaston — recorded Bluegill association
- Roanoke River — recorded Bluegill association
- Cape Fear River — recorded Bluegill association
- Neuse River — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Mattamuskeet — recorded Bluegill association
- Buckhorn Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- New River — recorded Bluegill association
- Dan River — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Metigoshe — recorded Bluegill association
- OWLS Pond — recorded Bluegill association
- State Fair Pond — recorded Bluegill association
- McDowell Dam — recorded Bluegill association
- Alum Creek Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Hoover Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Buckeye Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Grand Lake St. Marys — recorded Bluegill association
- Knox Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Acton Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Burr Oak Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Siltcoos Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Henry Hagg Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Marburg — recorded Bluegill association
- Frances Slocum Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Marion — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Moultrie — recorded Bluegill association
- Santee River — recorded Bluegill association
- Cooper River — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Murray (South Carolina) — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Greenwood — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Monticello — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Wateree — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Thurmond — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Keowee — recorded Bluegill association
- Great Pee Dee River — recorded Bluegill association
- Little Pee Dee River — recorded Bluegill association
- Waccamaw River — recorded Bluegill association
- Edisto River — recorded Bluegill association
- Black River — recorded Bluegill association
- Lynches River — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Traverse — recorded Bluegill association
- Enemy Swim Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Kampeska — recorded Bluegill association
- Roy Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Reelfoot Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- J. Percy Priest Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Center Hill Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Norris Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- South Holston Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Duck River — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Fork — recorded Bluegill association
- Sam Rayburn Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Athens — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake O' the Pines — recorded Bluegill association
- Fayette County Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Lady Bird Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Guadalupe River — recorded Bluegill association
- Devils River — recorded Bluegill association
- Starvation Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Newton Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Sand Hollow Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Red Fleet Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Smith Mountain Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir) — recorded Bluegill association
- Claytor Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Anna — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Moomaw — recorded Bluegill association
- Briery Creek Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Sandy River Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Flannagan Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Leesville Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Philpott Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- James River (Virginia) — recorded Bluegill association
- Shenandoah River — recorded Bluegill association
- Moses Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Potholes Reservoir — recorded Bluegill association
- Sprague Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Silver Lake (Cowlitz County) — recorded Bluegill association
- Summersville Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Cheat Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Stonewall Jackson Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Beech Fork Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Mount Storm Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- R.D. Bailey Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- North Bend Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Burnsville Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Stonecoal Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Winnebago — recorded Bluegill association
- Wolf River (Wisconsin) — recorded Bluegill association
- Mississippi River (Wisconsin-Minnesota Boundary) — recorded Bluegill association
- St. Croix River (Wisconsin) — recorded Bluegill association
- Menominee River — recorded Bluegill association
- Chippewa Flowage — recorded Bluegill association
- Turtle-Flambeau Flowage — recorded Bluegill association
- Eagle River Chain of Lakes — recorded Bluegill association
- Minocqua Chain — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Petenwell — recorded Bluegill association
- Castle Rock Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Mendota — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Koshkonong — recorded Bluegill association
- Geneva Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Big Green Lake — recorded Bluegill association
- Lake Cameahwait — recorded Bluegill association
Equipment planning for Bluegill
We have not selected a species-specific affiliate setup for this guide. First establish whether targeting is permitted at your destination; no tackle recommendation should be inferred from a species record.
Equipment guidance is not permission to fish. Confirm the exact water, date, species, method and current official rules first. A closed season prohibits targeting, even with release. Recorded fish presence does not establish an open fishery.
- Check permitted methods, bait and hook restrictions before choosing tackle. Match rod, line and lure ratings to the lawful method and conditions, rather than buying by species name alone.
- Plan weather protection, drinking water and a way to call for help. For boat trips, confirm required flotation and safety equipment with the responsible boating authority.
- Read the habitat and water-specific source notes in this guide, then confirm an appropriate lawful method with the local fisheries authority before choosing equipment. Do not assume a general freshwater combo suits every species or water.
This is an editorial planning checklist, not hands-on product testing. Use equipment you already own when suitable. The gear directory contains affiliate links; any product suggestions below have their own disclosure. Retailer region, availability and Canadian shipping are not guaranteed.
Browse the gear directory · Find official fishing-rule sources · Affiliate disclosure
Bluegill Regulations
Review available regulation records and confirm whether fishing for Bluegill is permitted with the responsible fisheries authority:
Frequently Asked Questions
What water types are associated with Bluegill?
The species record associates Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) with pond water and lake water. Habitat information is not evidence of current abundance or permission to target the species.
How big does Bluegill get?
The recorded average size for Bluegill is approximately 7.5 inches. Individual sizes vary; this average is not a maximum size or a legal retention limit.
Where does FishFinder record water associations for Bluegill?
FishFinder links Bluegill to water records in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These associations may reflect documented presence, seasonal runs, or historical stocking, not angler catch reports. Check the linked water guides and source notes for evidence dates and reaches; a listing does not guarantee current presence or legal fishing opportunity.
Does a listing or fishing license permit fishing for Bluegill?
No. A listing records an association, not permission to target or retain Bluegill. License requirements and exemptions vary. Confirm current species protections, seasonal and emergency closures, reach-specific rules, gear restrictions, bag and size limits with the responsible fisheries authority. A license does not override restrictions, and missing FishFinder regulation records do not mean unrestricted fishing.