Back to Previous Page
WARMOUTH
At-a-Glance
- Scientific Name: Lepomis gulosus
- Found in Illinois: Statewide
- State Average: 5.3"
- State Record: 1 lb/13 oz (1971)
- Best Lures: small jigs and spinners, poppers, wet or dry flies
Angling Tips:
The warmouth is an aggressive fish and can be easily caught using live baits, such as earthworms, crickets, meal worms, wax worms or artificial baits ranging from small jigs and spinners to poppers and wet or dry flies.
Habitat: Warmouth sunfish are typically found in lakes, sluggish streams, oxbows, and marshes with clearer shallow waters. They prefer areas with larger concentrations of aquatic vegetation, submerged roots and brush piles.
Feeding and Habits: Warmouths are sight feeders and feast on crayfish, large aquatic insect larvae, small fish, and mollusks. They are a secretive fish and seek cover in rocky banks, stumps or weeds, or near other large objects, where they can hide and wait for food.
Reproduction: Spawning occurs from May though July. Warmouth adult males build nests, court females, and provide parental care like other sunfish species. They build nests usually near a rock, stump, or clump of vegetation. After spawning, the nests are guarded by males for several days until the fry hatch.
