Site hosted by Build your free website today!  (Lepomis
macrochirus)  [Common Names]   [Description]   [Habitat]  
[Spawning Habits]   [Feeding Habits]   [Sporting Qualities]  
[Eating Quality] [ Fishing for Bluegill]  Common Names
Bluegills have small mouths and oval-shaped, almost rounded,
bodies. Body coloration is highly variable with size, sex,
spawning, water color, bottom type, and amount of cover. In
general, they are somewhat lavender and bronze with about six
dark bars on their sides. Males tend to have a copper-colored
bar over the top of the head behind the eyes. The breast is
silver to slightly blue most of the year, with some yellow or
orange during spawning season. Females are generally lighter
colored than males. Two distinctive characteristics are the
prominent black spot on the rear edge of the gill-cover and a
black spot at the base of the posterior portion of the dorsal
fin.    Bluegills prefer the quiet, weedy waters where they can
hide and feed. They inhabit lakes and ponds, slow-flow