Sunfish
CommonFreshwater
An easygoing panfish found in nearly every pond, lake, and slow creek, rarely spooked by noise or a clumsy cast. Bites readily on worms or small soft plastics in bright, shallow water — an ideal species for light tackle and beginners.
Profile
- Fight: 1/10
- Trophy: 1/10
- Wariness: 1/10
- Abundance: 10/10
- Aggression: 6/10
- Table: 5/10
- Typical weight
- 0.1–0.4 lbs (0.1–0.2 kg)
- Record
- 2.4 lbs (1.1 kg)
Season
- Jan: 15%
- Feb: 15%
- Mar: 30%
- Apr: 55%
- May: 70%
- Jun: 75%
- Jul: 70%
- Aug: 65%
- Sep: 55%
- Oct: 40%
- Nov: 22%
- Dec: 15%
Seasonality shown is typical for temperate North America — your local waters may vary.
Time of day
- 12 AM: 8%
- 1 AM: 6%
- 2 AM: 5%
- 3 AM: 5%
- 4 AM: 6%
- 5 AM: 15%
- 6 AM: 35%
- 7 AM: 55%
- 8 AM: 70%
- 9 AM: 80%
- 10 AM: 85%
- 11 AM: 85%
- 12 PM: 80%
- 1 PM: 78%
- 2 PM: 80%
- 3 PM: 82%
- 4 PM: 78%
- 5 PM: 65%
- 6 PM: 45%
- 7 PM: 25%
- 8 PM: 15%
- 9 PM: 12%
- 10 PM: 10%
- 11 PM: 9%
Conditions
Temp64–79°F (18–26°C)
Depth2–10 ft (1–3 m)
PressureAny
LightBright
Lures
Tips
- Use ultralight tackle — sunfish are small but hit eagerly and put up a fun scrap on light gear.
- Fish shallow, sunlit water near cover where sunfish gather in numbers.
- A worm or small soft plastic under a bobber is a simple, reliable setup.
Live bite index for your spot
Vobbl scores today’s weather against this species’ profile, hour by hour, wherever you fish.