Tilapia
UncommonFreshwater
Thrives in warm, shallow water and feeds readily through the heat of the day, making it one of the most approachable freshwater fish to target. Small live bait or soft plastics fished near cover consistently draw bites.
Profile
- Fight: 3/10
- Trophy: 1/10
- Wariness: 2/10
- Abundance: 6/10
- Aggression: 4/10
- Table: 6/10
- Typical weight
- 0.7–2.2 lbs (0.3–1.0 kg)
- Record
- 9.9 lbs (4.5 kg)
Season
- Jan: 10%
- Feb: 10%
- Mar: 20%
- Apr: 40%
- May: 65%
- Jun: 80%
- Jul: 85%
- Aug: 80%
- Sep: 60%
- Oct: 35%
- Nov: 15%
- Dec: 10%
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
Temp75–86°F (24–30°C)
Depth2–10 ft (1–3 m)
PressureAny
LightBright
Lures
Tips
- Look for tilapia in warm, shallow water — they thrive in temperatures many other species avoid.
- Unlike many species, tilapia stay active through the middle of the day in bright light.
- Small live bait or soft plastics near cover produce the most consistent bites.
Live bite index for your spot
Vobbl scores today’s weather against this species’ profile, hour by hour, wherever you fish.