Maryland Fish Facts

Redear Sunfish

Redear Sunfish

Lepomis microlophus

Shellcracker

Key Distinguishing Markings:

Yellow-green or olive, with faint vertical bars and random dark spots.
During spawning, the margin of the male's gill cover flap turns bright red.
Body is rounded like other sunfish and has a relatively small mouth.
Pectoral fins are long and pointed.
They grow faster and larger than other sunfish; 1 lb. fish not uncommon and often reaching 2 lbs.

Distribution:

In the wild, redear sunfish inhabit warm, quiet waters of lakes, ponds, streams, and reservoirs.
They prefer to be near logs and vegetation, and tend to congregate in groups around these features.
This sunfish is also located in many freshwater marsh wetlands.

Size:

Redear sunfish, also known as shellcrackers, typically average 6 to 10 inches in length.

Habitat:

Warm, quiet waters: They favor areas with little to no current.
Abundant vegetation: They thrive in areas with plenty of aquatic plants for cover and food.
Sandy/muddy bottoms: They often reside on the bottom of ponds, lakes, and reservoirs.
Structures: They are drawn to logs, stumps, submerged brush, and rootwads.
Protected bays and overflow pools: In streams, they prefer these areas over the main channel.

Examples of Maryland locations:

Piney Run Reservoir: Known for a good redear sunfish fishery.
Other ponds and lakes: They can be found in various ponds and lakes across the state.

Spawning:

April spawners and colony nesters when water temperatures reach about 70°F.
They do not spawn into the summer.
Nest is a saucer-shaped depression near shore in mud or sand bottom that is formed by the male who guards the eggs until fry hatch out and reach free-swimming stage.
Following spawning, they move back to inhabit water between shoreline cover and deep holes.

Fishing Tips:

Best time to catch redears is in the spring when they come up to the spawning beds.
Being bottom feeders, most redears are caught by letting live nymphs, red wigglers or garden worms lie on the bottom near shore.
Artificial jigs and grubs fished slowly and near the bottom will work as well.

Fun Fact:

Redear sunfish can occasionally spawn with bluegill sunfish, resulting in natural hybrids.
The redear sunfish is the first-known species of Centrarchidae based on fossil records, as old as 16.3 million years, dating back to the Middle Miocene.

Family: Centrarchidae (Sunfishes)

Order: Centrarchiformes

Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

Illustration by Duane Raver

Maryland Department of Natural Resources