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Lepomis gibbosus
Dark, rigid gill flaps similar to bluegill. Has a red spot on tip of the gill flap. Pumpkinseeds can be distinguished from bluegill by the aqua-blue lines that radiate from the mouth and nose. Typically spot a bright orange belly. Pumpkinseed are typically “taller” from belly to dorsal fin than bluegill.
Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri © Prefer weed patches, sunken logs or docks for cover. They are easily caught on a variety of baits, lures or flies and are more willing to take small fish or minnows than bluegills. As a result, pumpkinseeds populations are less likely to be stunted; as they tend to thin their own number.
The young fry eat zooplankton and algae. As they grow larger, they add small fish, aquatic insects and some plant matter to their diet.
Sunfish spawn in the spring and it is during the bedding season that they easily taken. Like bluegill, pumpkinseed are community nesters, with spawning beginning in late May. They are often taken from the same areas as bluegill when bedding and in lakes with populations of both sunfish, a typical catch would include members of both species. Fly fishers using popping bugs, rubber spiders or nymphs can be rewarded with fine sport. Anglers will sometimes catch a variety of species from the same spawning beds and the fish will sometime hybridize. The average adult pumpkinseed is 6 to 8 inches long, although some reach 10 inches. Sexual maturity occurs at 2 to 3 years for males and 3 to 4 years for females. Average lifespan of these fish is 5 to 6 years.
