Bluegill

Also known as gills, sunfish, sunnies, bream, and bulls.

Bluegill icon

They’re scrappy, stubborn, and virtually everywhere.  For many of us, they were our first fish and entirely responsible for igniting the angling fire that lives inside us. They’re loved by many, but often underappreciated. Pound-for-pound, their fighting ability is rivaled by few species.

Facts and tips provided by Blake Tollefson, onX Fish Ambassador

Finding Bluegill Fishing Lakes

Bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) are found across North America in a wide range of water bodies, including lakes and ponds. Their native range covers the central and eastern United States and northern Mexico. Their expanded range includes southern Canada and every U.S. state, except Alaska.

They’re a fan favorite for many, touted for their accessibility, fighting ability, and quality as table fare. Bluegills are a worthy target for beginners and experts alike. Big bluegills are becoming increasingly rarer. Trophy bluegills are arguably harder to find than a 20-inch smallmouth, 28-inch walleye, or 50-inch musky. To up your odds of hooking bluegills, here is guidance on finding places likely to hold gills and how to catch them.

Bluegill Habitat

Bluegills are found across a variety of areas, including lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. They exist in everything from shallow, stained environments to deep, clear environments. Generally, they thrive in warm water with low to no flow and adequate cover and structure.

Top areas include:

  • Vegetation, like cabbage, coontail, and lily pads.
  • Wood, like downed trees, brush piles, and fish cribs.
  • Transition areas, like hard-to-soft bottom areas.
  • Basin areas, like expansive, soft-bottom areas.

Bluegills travel in schools, so where you find one, you’re sure to find plenty.

Water Temperature

Similar to many other freshwater species, water temperature has a direct impact on bluegills and their activity levels. Bluegills are active year-round, but temperatures in the 55°F to 85°F range are favored by the species.

How To Catch Bluegill

Anyone can catch bluegills, which, for many, is a large part of their appeal. That being said, bulls in the plus-sized category can be downright daunting, often testing the patience of those willing to chase them down.

Bluegill Behavior

Bluegills are a member of the sunfish family, and like many other members of this group, they’re aggressive and curious. Their bites are easily recognized as an aggressive fury of taps and pecks. Small fish come easy, but trophy fish are among the most stubborn of species.

Gills are a schooling fish, often found in large pods.

Bluegill Diet: What Do Bluegill Eat?

Common bluegill forage includes insects, small baitfish, crayfish, and zooplankton. Aquatic and terrestrial insects are arguably the most important food base as they’re eaten from the larval stage through the adult insect stage.

Understanding a bluegill’s diet will lead to more promising results on the water. What works well in one situation may not work as well in other situations.

Fishing Techniques

Top tactics for gills are dependent on factors like time of year, forage preferences, and water body type. The right setup is only part of the equation, as timing and location are vital to a successful outing.

The most popular techniques include small jigs and plastics or live bait, often fished under a float. Anglers searching for trophies will often employ a variety of techniques more commonly used to target bass, walleye, and trout.

Bluegill Bait, Lures, and Knots

Live Bait Options
• Worms and nightcrawlers.
• Wax worms, mealworms, maggots, and grubs.
• Small minnows.
• Insects, like crickets.

Artificial Lure Options
• Jig and plastic combinations, including paddle tails, minnow imitations, and bug imitations.
• Hair jigs.
• Flies.
• Small crankbaits.

Knot Recommendations
• Attachment knots are ideal for securing lures. Options include the improved clinch knot, Palomar knot, and loop knot.
• Connection knots are designed to connect leader lines to main lines. Options include the FG knot, Alberto knot, blood knot, and uni knot.

Best Time To Catch Bluegill

Bluegills are targeted year-round by Midwest anglers. There are great opportunities in every season.

Seasonal Tips

  • Spring: Several changes occur throughout spring, especially as fish move through the stages of spawning. During the earliest part of spring, bluegills remain in mid-depth to deep areas. As water temperatures warm, gills move shallow in preparation for the spawn. Focus on hard bottom areas, like sand or gravel, where fish will ultimately set up spawning colonies. Small jig and plastic or live bait combinations work well.
  • Summer: Summer will have bluegills in a variety of locations, including deep weed lines, submerged wood, and transition areas. Larger gills often use walleye-centric habitat like mid-lake humps throughout this period. Top lure options include jig and plastic combinations, small crankbaits, dropshots, and live bait rigs.
  • Fall: Both shallow and deep cover come into play during the fall. Deeper scenarios tend to provide the most consistent results with bluegills relating to cover, like wood and weeds. Small, vertical presentations fished slowly are often necessary throughout this timeframe.
  • Winter: Healthy weed growth, fish cribs, and basins are top locations during the winter months. Bluegills can often be found suspended throughout this timeframe. Small jigs tipped with plastics or live bait (waxworms and spikes) are the best options.

Time of Day and Weather

Thankfully for anglers, bluegills tend to be cooperative throughout most of the day. For big bluegills, the golden hours, at dawn and dusk, can be important times to be on the water. In some instances, timing is truly everything.

Generally, the more stable the weather patterns, the more stable the bites. Drastic changes in weather can cause a good bite to go haywire. Overcast days typically allow fish to move more freely, while high sun, flat calm days cause them to relate more heavily to cover.

Use the onX Fish App for Bluegill Fishing

onX Fish Lake Finder feature shown on a mobile device.

Find the Right Lake

With the onX Fish App’s ability to filter by species, then select for either abundance, trophy, or keeper potential, anglers can find the best lakes for bluegill without leaving the couch. Identify lakes with historically robust bluegill populations by viewing individual lakes’ bluegill species cards, then scrolling back through individual surveys. The best way to wet a line for gills of the size and number you’re after is to find the right lake to start with. 

onX Fish sharing feature shown on a mobile device.

Share Plans With Friends

Fishing with friends? The onX Fish App allows anglers to share Waypoints, Tracks, and other content with the touch of a button. Perfect for working together and developing a plan of attack on your next big bluegill mission.

onX Fish Recent Imagery shown on a mobile device.

Pinpoint Weed Growth

With the onX Fish App’s Recent Imagery, anglers can identify the status of weed growth on a given body of water. Up-to-date imagery offers the ability to pinpoint key locations for bluegills, like edges, points, pockets, and humps, from the comfort of home. Built-in Waypoint management ensures you can easily find promising locations once you hit the water.

CATCH MORE BLUEGILL

Open the map. Find the structure. Time it right.

Bluegill FAQs

Bluegill vs crappie: What’s the difference?

Bluegills and crappies are often lumped together in the panfish category, but in all reality, they are different species. They inhabit many of the same areas but often use different portions of the water column: Crappies often suspend higher in the water column, while bluegills often relate closer to the bottom.

How big is the world record bluegill?

The world record bluegill is a staggering 15 inches in length and 4 pounds, 12 ounces in weight. The fish was caught in Alabama in 1950.

When do bluegill spawn?

Like many freshwater species, bluegills spawn during the spring. Ideal water temperatures for spawning range from 68°F to 75°F.