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.
How to Catch Bluegill
Whether you're new to targeting Bluegill or refining your approach, success starts with matching your tactics to where the fish lives. Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) is typically found in pond water and lake water, so concentrate your effort where those conditions line up. Mature Bluegill average around 7.5 inches, which helps you choose the right line, lure size, and tackle for the fight.
Where to Find Bluegill in the USA & Canada
Bluegill is recorded across a range of North American waters, including spots 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. Browse the linked water guides below to see the specific lakes, rivers, and coastal waters where anglers report catching Bluegill, then plan a trip around the water closest to you.
Bluegill Fishing Regulations & Limits
Fishing rules for Bluegill vary by state and province. Before you head out, check the daily bag limits, minimum size limits, and open seasons that apply in your area. When FishFinder has matching records, the regulations link below takes you to the rules hub. Following local limits keeps Bluegill populations healthy for future seasons.
Related Water Guides for Bluegill
Explore these FishFinder water guides for places where Bluegill is recorded:
- Everglades — Bluegill fishing water
- Rideau Lakes — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Guntersville — Bluegill fishing water
- Wheeler Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Wilson Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Pickwick Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Weiss Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lay Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Logan Martin Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Neely Henry Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Martin — Bluegill fishing water
- R.L. Harris Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Yates Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Thurlow Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Walter F. George Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- West Point Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Lewis Smith Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Alabama River — Bluegill fishing water
- Mobile-Tensaw Delta — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Jackson (Florala) — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Powell — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Mead — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Havasu — Bluegill fishing water
- Colorado River — Bluegill fishing water
- Theodore Roosevelt Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Canyon Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Saguaro Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Bartlett Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Pleasant — Bluegill fishing water
- Alamo Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Upper Lake Mary — Bluegill fishing water
- Bull Shoals Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Norfork — Bluegill fishing water
- Beaver Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Greers Ferry Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Ouachita — Bluegill fishing water
- DeGray Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Greeson — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Dardanelle — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Chicot — Bluegill fishing water
- Buffalo National River — Bluegill fishing water
- Caddo River — Bluegill fishing water
- Eleven Point River — Bluegill fishing water
- Arkansas River — Bluegill fishing water
- Lower Mississippi River — Bluegill fishing water
- Clear Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Shasta Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Oroville — Bluegill fishing water
- Folsom Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Berryessa — Bluegill fishing water
- San Luis Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- New Melones Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Diamond Valley Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Sonoma — Bluegill fishing water
- Pine Flat Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Castaic Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta — Bluegill fishing water
- Colorado River (California) — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Cahuilla — Bluegill fishing water
- Bantam Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lums Pond — Bluegill fishing water
- Becks Pond — Bluegill fishing water
- Killens Pond — Bluegill fishing water
- Trap Pond — Bluegill fishing water
- Records Pond — Bluegill fishing water
- Concord Pond — Bluegill fishing water
- Silver Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Andrews Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Garrisons Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Coursey Pond — Bluegill fishing water
- Wagamons Pond — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Okeechobee — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Kissimmee — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Tohopekaliga — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake George — Bluegill fishing water
- St. Johns River — Bluegill fishing water
- Rodman Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Harris — Bluegill fishing water
- Santa Fe River — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Seminole — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Talquin — Bluegill fishing water
- Perdido River — Bluegill fishing water
- St. Marys River — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Jackson (Walton County) — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Ida — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Lanier — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Hartwell — Bluegill fishing water
- Clarks Hill Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Blackshear — Bluegill fishing water
- Wailua Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Wahiawā Reservoir (Lake Wilson) — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Lowell — Bluegill fishing water
- Mississippi River (Illinois-Iowa Border) — Bluegill fishing water
- Fox Chain O'Lakes — Bluegill fishing water
- Braidwood Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Clinton Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Sangchris Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Decatur — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Springfield — Bluegill fishing water
- Coffeen Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Carlyle Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Rend Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Kinkaid Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Crab Orchard Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- White River — Bluegill fishing water
- Tippecanoe River — Bluegill fishing water
- Monroe Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Patoka Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Brookville Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Cecil M. Harden Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Cagles Mill Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Mississinewa Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Salamonie Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- J. Edward Roush Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Turtle Creek Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Wawasee — Bluegill fishing water
- Webster Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Geist Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- West Okoboji Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Spirit Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Clear Lake (Iowa) — Bluegill fishing water
- Storm Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Big Creek Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Pleasant Creek Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Rathbun — Bluegill fishing water
- Saylorville Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Red Rock — Bluegill fishing water
- Coralville Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Mississippi River (Iowa Waters) — Bluegill fishing water
- Milford Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Wilson Reservoir (Kansas) — Bluegill fishing water
- Cheney Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Clinton Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Perry Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- El Dorado Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Kanopolis Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Glen Elder Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Tuttle Creek Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Melvern Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Cedar Bluff Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Council Grove Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Marion Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Pomona Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Hillsdale Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Big Hill Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- John Redmond Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Lovewell Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Kentucky Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Barkley — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Cumberland — Bluegill fishing water
- Dale Hollow Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Barren River Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Cave Run Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Green River Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Taylorsville Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Nolin River Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Rough River Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Laurel River Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Grayson Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Buckhorn Lake (Kentucky) — Bluegill fishing water
- Dewey Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Fishtrap Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Yatesville Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Herrington Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Kentucky River — Bluegill fishing water
- Elkhorn Creek — Bluegill fishing water
- Green River — Bluegill fishing water
- Toledo Bend Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Caddo Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Sabine River — Bluegill fishing water
- Poverty Point Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- False River — Bluegill fishing water
- Eagle Lake (Louisiana) — Bluegill fishing water
- John K. Kelly-Grand Bayou Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Bussey Brake — Bluegill fishing water
- D'Arbonne Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Atchafalaya Basin — Bluegill fishing water
- Lac des Allemands — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Verret — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Bistineau — Bluegill fishing water
- Cross Lake (Louisiana) — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Claiborne — Bluegill fishing water
- Chicot Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Black Lake (Louisiana) — Bluegill fishing water
- Red River (Louisiana) — Bluegill fishing water
- Ouachita River — Bluegill fishing water
- Henderson Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Deep Creek Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Youghiogheny River Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Potomac River (Upper) — Bluegill fishing water
- Monocacy River — Bluegill fishing water
- Liberty Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Loch Raven Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Prettyboy Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Piney Run Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Little Seneca Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- St. Mary's Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Conowingo Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Triadelphia Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Rocky Gap Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Onota Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- South Pond (Quacumquasit Pond) — Bluegill fishing water
- Congamond Lakes — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Chaubunagungamaug — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Cochituate — Bluegill fishing water
- Houghton Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Gull Lake (Michigan) — Bluegill fishing water
- Gun Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Hudson — Bluegill fishing water
- Leech Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Vermilion — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Winnibigoshish — Bluegill fishing water
- Gull Lake Chain — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Minnetonka — Bluegill fishing water
- Whitefish Chain — Bluegill fishing water
- Pelican Lake (St. Louis County) — Bluegill fishing water
- Basswood Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Pepin — Bluegill fishing water
- Red River of the North — Bluegill fishing water
- Big Stone Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Ross Barnett Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Grenada Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Sardis Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Enid Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Arkabutla Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Pickwick Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway — Bluegill fishing water
- Eagle Lake (Mississippi) — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Washington — Bluegill fishing water
- Moon Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Choctaw Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Davis Lake (Chickasaw County) — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Lamar Bruce — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Monroe — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Okhissa — Bluegill fishing water
- Calling Panther Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Neshoba County Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Tangipahoa (Percy Quin State Park) — Bluegill fishing water
- Pascagoula River — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Bogue Homa — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake of the Ozarks — Bluegill fishing water
- Harry S. Truman Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Table Rock Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Bull Shoals Lake (Missouri) — Bluegill fishing water
- Norfork Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Stockton Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Pomme de Terre Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Mark Twain Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Smithville Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Wappapello Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Long Branch Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Thomas Hill Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Montrose Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Mississippi River (Pools 20-26) — Bluegill fishing water
- Merritt Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Elwood Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Branched Oak Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Wanahoo — Bluegill fishing water
- Lewis and Clark Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Box Butte Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Smith Lake WMA — Bluegill fishing water
- Pelican Lake (Valentine NWR) — Bluegill fishing water
- Flanagan Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Zorinsky Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Grove Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Two Rivers SRA — Bluegill fishing water
- Wagon Train Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Prairie Queen Recreation Area — Bluegill fishing water
- Johnson Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Maloney — Bluegill fishing water
- Willow Creek Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Massabesic Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Merrimack River (New Hampshire) — Bluegill fishing water
- Greenwood Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Mercer Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Assunpink Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Parvin Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Manasquan Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Union Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Cochiti Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Otisco Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Oneida Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Black Lake (New York) — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Chatuge — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Santeetlah — Bluegill fishing water
- Fontana Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake James — Bluegill fishing water
- High Rock Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- B. Everett Jordan Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Shearon Harris Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Gaston — Bluegill fishing water
- Roanoke River — Bluegill fishing water
- Cape Fear River — Bluegill fishing water
- Neuse River — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Mattamuskeet — Bluegill fishing water
- Buckhorn Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- New River — Bluegill fishing water
- Dan River — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Metigoshe — Bluegill fishing water
- OWLS Pond — Bluegill fishing water
- State Fair Pond — Bluegill fishing water
- McDowell Dam — Bluegill fishing water
- Alum Creek Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Hoover Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Buckeye Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Grand Lake St. Marys — Bluegill fishing water
- Knox Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Acton Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Burr Oak Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Siltcoos Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Henry Hagg Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Marburg — Bluegill fishing water
- Frances Slocum Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Marion — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Moultrie — Bluegill fishing water
- Santee River — Bluegill fishing water
- Cooper River — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Murray (South Carolina) — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Greenwood — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Monticello — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Wateree — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Thurmond — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Keowee — Bluegill fishing water
- Great Pee Dee River — Bluegill fishing water
- Little Pee Dee River — Bluegill fishing water
- Waccamaw River — Bluegill fishing water
- Edisto River — Bluegill fishing water
- Black River — Bluegill fishing water
- Lynches River — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Traverse — Bluegill fishing water
- Enemy Swim Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Kampeska — Bluegill fishing water
- Roy Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Reelfoot Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- J. Percy Priest Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Center Hill Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Norris Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- South Holston Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Duck River — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Fork — Bluegill fishing water
- Sam Rayburn Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Athens — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake O' the Pines — Bluegill fishing water
- Fayette County Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Lady Bird Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Guadalupe River — Bluegill fishing water
- Devils River — Bluegill fishing water
- Starvation Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Newton Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Sand Hollow Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Red Fleet Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Smith Mountain Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir) — Bluegill fishing water
- Claytor Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Anna — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Moomaw — Bluegill fishing water
- Briery Creek Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Sandy River Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Flannagan Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Leesville Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Philpott Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- James River (Virginia) — Bluegill fishing water
- Shenandoah River — Bluegill fishing water
- Moses Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Potholes Reservoir — Bluegill fishing water
- Sprague Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Silver Lake (Cowlitz County) — Bluegill fishing water
- Summersville Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Cheat Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Stonewall Jackson Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Beech Fork Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Mount Storm Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- R.D. Bailey Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- North Bend Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Burnsville Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Stonecoal Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Winnebago — Bluegill fishing water
- Wolf River (Wisconsin) — Bluegill fishing water
- Mississippi River (Wisconsin-Minnesota Boundary) — Bluegill fishing water
- St. Croix River (Wisconsin) — Bluegill fishing water
- Menominee River — Bluegill fishing water
- Chippewa Flowage — Bluegill fishing water
- Turtle-Flambeau Flowage — Bluegill fishing water
- Eagle River Chain of Lakes — Bluegill fishing water
- Minocqua Chain — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Petenwell — Bluegill fishing water
- Castle Rock Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Mendota — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Koshkonong — Bluegill fishing water
- Geneva Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Big Green Lake — Bluegill fishing water
- Lake Cameahwait — Bluegill fishing water
Bluegill Regulations
Review current FishFinder regulation records before targeting Bluegill:
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of water is best for catching Bluegill?
Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) is typically found in pond water and lake water. Focus your effort where those conditions line up to improve your chances.
How big does Bluegill get?
Mature Bluegill average around 7.5 inches, though individual fish can run larger. Matching your line, lure size, and tackle to that range makes for a better fight and landing rate.
Where can I catch Bluegill in the USA and Canada?
Bluegill is reported across North American waters, including spots 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. Check the locations listed on this page to find the lakes, rivers, and coastal waters closest to you.
Do I need a fishing license to catch Bluegill?
A valid fishing license is required in most US states and Canadian provinces. Daily bag limits, minimum size limits, and open seasons for Bluegill vary by region, so review the regulations on this page and with your local wildlife authority before heading out.