[ Type of WI Fish | Wisconsin Fishing ]
🎣 The Ultimate Guide to Wisconsin Panfish
🟢 What Are Panfish in Wisconsin?
✅ All Types of Wisconsin Panfish
🟦 1. Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
Key Traits:
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Color: Olive-green with vertical dark bars
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Average Size: 6–10 inches
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Habitat: Weedy shallows in lakes and ponds
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Best Baits: Worms, wax worms, crickets, small jigs
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Top Seasons: Spring spawn, summer mornings, winter ice fishing
🟪 2. Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
Key Traits:
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Color: Dark speckled pattern
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Average Size: 8–14 inches
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Habitat: Clear water, submerged structures
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Best Baits: Small minnows, tube jigs, soft plastics
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Top Seasons: Early spring, late winter through ice
🟨 3. White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis)
Key Traits:
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Color: Pale body with faint vertical bars
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Average Size: 8–14 inches
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Habitat: Warmer lakes and slow rivers
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Best Baits: Minnows, tubes, micro crankbaits
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Top Seasons: Spawning months and under-ice action
🟧 4. Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens)
Key Traits:
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Color: Bright yellow with vertical bars
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Average Size: 8–12 inches
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Habitat: Deep lakes, mud flats, weed edges
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Best Baits: Fathead minnows, wax worms, jigging spoons
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Top Seasons: Ice season and early spring
🔴 5. Pumpkinseed Sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus)
Key Traits:
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Color: Orange with blue-green accents and red-tipped gill flap
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Average Size: 4–8 inches
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Habitat: Shallow bays, small ponds, stream edges
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Best Baits: Worms, small jigs, flies
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Top Seasons: Spring and early summer
🟤 6. Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
Key Traits:
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Color: Green body with blue streaks and large mouth
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Average Size: 5–9 inches
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Habitat: Shallow backwaters, warm ponds
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Best Baits: Worms, insects, small lures
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Top Seasons: Summer and fall
🔘 7. Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris)
Key Traits:
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Color: Bronze-olive with red eyes
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Average Size: 6–10 inches
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Habitat: Rock piles, gravel bottoms, creek mouths
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Best Baits: Nightcrawlers, small jigs, inline spinners
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Top Seasons: Summer and fall
🔶 8. Warmouth Sunfish (Lepomis gulosis)
Key Traits:
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Color: Mottled green with red-brown cheeks
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Average Size: 5–9 inches
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Habitat: Weedy, muddy lakes and backwaters
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Best Baits: Worms, crickets, soft plastics
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Top Seasons: Mid to late summer
🟠 9. Orangespotted Sunfish (Lepomis humilis)
Key Traits:
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Color: Orange spots on a greenish-blue background
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Average Size: 3–5 inches
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Habitat: Prairie streams, small warm ponds
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Best Baits: Worm pieces, insect larvae
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Top Seasons: Summer
🟡 10. Hybrid Sunfish (Cross-breeds)
Key Traits:
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Color: Mixed patterns depending on parentage
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Average Size: 6–10 inches
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Habitat: Farm ponds, stocked lakes
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Best Baits: Worms, jigs, insects
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Top Seasons: Spring and summer
🔹 11. Redear Sunfish (Lepomis microlophus)
Key Traits:
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Color: Olive body with red-edged gill flap
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Average Size: 8–12 inches
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Habitat: Stocked ponds, southern managed fisheries
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Best Baits: Worms, snails, crustaceans
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Top Seasons: Spring and early summer
📝 Summary Table of Wisconsin Panfish
| Species | Avg Size | Habitat | Best Baits | Top Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 6–10 in | Shallow, weedy lakes | Worms, jigs | Spring–Winter |
| Black Crappie | 8–14 in | Brush piles, clear lakes | Minnows, plastics | Spring–Winter |
| White Crappie | 8–14 in | Muddy lakes, rivers | Minnows, tubes | Spring–Winter |
| Yellow Perch | 8–12 in | Mud flats, drop-offs | Fatheads, wax worms | Ice & Early Spring |
| Pumpkinseed | 4–8 in | Bays, ponds | Worms, flies | Spring–Summer |
| Green Sunfish | 5–9 in | Warm, shallow backwaters | Insects, small lures | Summer–Fall |
| Rock Bass | 6–10 in | Rocky lakes, streams | Jigs, spinners | Summer–Fall |
| Warmouth | 5–9 in | Swampy backwaters | Worms, plastics | Summer |
| Orangespotted Sunfish | 3–5 in | Prairie streams | Insects, larvae | Summer |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 6–10 in | Ponds, stocked lakes | Worms, jigs | Spring–Summer |
| Redear Sunfish | 8–12 in | Stocked ponds | Worms, snails | Spring |
Types of Panfish in Wisconsin
What is a Panfish?
- Black Crappie
- Bluegill
- Green Sunfish
- Longear Sunfish
- Orange spotted Sunfish
- Pumpkinseed
- Rock Bass
- Yellow Perch
- Warmouth
- White Crappie
List of Panfish in Wisconsin
Always check Local Fishing Regulations!
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