Spotted Sunfish
Lepomis punctatus
A small, colorful sunfish species native to the southeastern United States with distinctive dark spots on its olive-green to bronze body. One of the smaller members of the sunfish family, typically found in vegetated areas of slow-moving waters.
Spotted Sunfish at a glance
- Scientific name
- Lepomis punctatus
- Typical size
- 3-6 inches, under 1 lb
- IGFA world record
- 1 lb 4 oz
- Water
- Freshwater
- Habitat
- Freshwater
- Rarity in the Fishdex™
- Common
Habitat
Spotted sunfish inhabit shallow, vegetated areas of streams, ponds, swamps, and backwater areas with soft bottoms and abundant cover. They prefer areas with heavy aquatic vegetation and are often found near cypress trees and fallen logs. Anglers typically catch them using small hooks with worms, crickets, or small jigs around structure.
Catch one and it is yours
Log a spotted sunfish through the Cobia Camera and this entry fills in with your photo, your personal best, and the exact conditions on the day. The app also carries the slot and season rules for wherever you are standing.
How the Fishdex™ worksSpotted Sunfish questions people ask
Spotted Sunfish is Lepomis punctatus.
A typical spotted sunfish runs 3-6 inches, under 1 lb. The IGFA all tackle world record stands at 1 lb 4 oz. Cobia records the length and weight of every spotted sunfish you log and keeps your personal best on its Fishdex entry.
Spotted sunfish inhabit shallow, vegetated areas of streams, ponds, swamps, and backwater areas with soft bottoms and abundant cover. They prefer areas with heavy aquatic vegetation and are often found near cypress trees and fallen logs. Anglers typically catch them using small hooks with worms, crickets, or small jigs around structure. It is a fresh water species, filed under freshwater in the Fishdex.
The IGFA all tackle world record spotted sunfish weighed 1 lb 4 oz.
Yes. Log one through the Cobia Camera and this entry fills in with your own photo, your personal best, and the conditions on the day you caught it. The app also carries the slot limits and season dates for wherever you are standing. It is free.
Tomorrow morning starts tonight
Set your home water, pick a drive radius, and wake up to a plan.
Android coming soon
iPhone, iOS 17 or later. Setup takes about a minute.