Pre-Spawn
Trophy fishing window60–64°F
Redear stage similarly to bluegill but typically in deeper water and more structure-tied habitat.
Live worms and small jigs near hard-bottom structure produce pre-spawn redear.
Single-region spawn timing
Redear Sunfish spawn timing in Southeast Rivers and Reservoirs.
- Lepomis microlophus
- Mid-April – Late August
Florida and Gulf states have extended redear spawn from April through August.
Calendar & temperature
Redear Sunfish in Southeast Rivers and Reservoirs.
Typical window: Mid-April – Late August
Pre-spawn — best fishingPeak spawn — conservationPost-spawn — recovery feeding·Dashed line = peak spawn boundaries
Phase-by-phase
Pre-spawn → spawn → post-spawn → summer.
Spawn
Conservation window64–78°F (peak 68–72°F)
Active spawning behavior. Colonial bed spawners like bluegill but typically spawn slightly earlier in the same waters and use slightly deeper bed sites.
Redear populations are robust where present. As with bluegill, primary conservation concern is in private pond settings.
Conservation context
Redear populations are robust where present. As with bluegill, primary conservation concern is in private pond settings.
Post-Spawn
Recovery feeding78–86°F (~7 days)
Like bluegill, redear may have multiple spawn cycles per season.
Bed fishing periodically produces throughout summer in southeastern waters.
Summer Pattern
Standard patternsAbove 86°F
Fish disperse to summer habitat and feeding patterns. Spawn cycle complete until following year.
Standard summer fishing tactics apply.