Find Your Next Spot
Warmouth
Lepomis gulosus
Identification
A stocky sunfish with a large mouth (relative to other sunfish), red eyes, and dark radiating lines fanning out from the eye.
Where It's Found
Prefers weedy, mucky-bottomed backwaters, swamps, and sluggish creeks throughout the eastern and southern U.S. — more tolerant of low-oxygen water than most sunfish.
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Fishing Notes
An underrated, aggressive biter around heavy cover; small jigs and live bait fished tight to structure will draw strikes other panfish won't.
Scientific Classification▾
Family
Centrarchidae
Genus
Lepomis
Order
Centrarchiformes
Class
Actinopterygii
Phylum
Chordata
Kingdom
Animalia
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Find a boat ramp near you and check state fishing regulations before you head out.
Photography sourced from Wikimedia Commons contributors.