Maryland Department of Natural Resources

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Maryland Fish Facts

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Redbreast Sunfish

Redbreast Sunfish
Lepomis auritus
Yellowbreast sunfish, redbelly, red throat
Key Distinguishing Markings:
  • Olive to brownish gray along the back, merging to blue with a golden cast along its sides and a bright orange to yellow underside. 
  • Has several irregular bluish stripes on its cheek and gill cover. 
  • Identifiable by a long, black opercular(gill) flap. Reaches about 8 inches.​

Distribution:
  • Redbreast sunfish are native to the eastern United States and Canada, in rivers emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. 
  • They are found in Maryland's rivers, lakes, and streams, including the Monocacy River. 
  • While they inhabit various freshwater environments, they are more common in cool-river systems. ​


Size:
  • The redbreast sunfish reaches a maximum recorded length of about 30 centimetres (12 in).​

Habitat:
  • Shadows and holes around submerged rocks or near shore along overhanging banks and often at the ends of long swirling currents, in streams and rivers.


Spawning:
  • Late April and early May. 
  • Male fans out a nest in coarse sand or gravel near shore in 1 to 4 ft. of quiet water. 
  • Male  guards the nest and keeps eggs "dusted" of silt until they hatch.​


Fishing Tips:
  • Small spinner baits, spinner bucktails, grubs and tiny crankbaits. 
  • Spring and fall are the best times, but they are active throughout the summer.​


Fun Fact:
  • Redbreast sunfish are known for their distinctive "grunting" vocalizations, produced by grinding their pharyngeal teeth together. 
  • It is common for redbreast sunfish to hybridize with other sunfish species in their native and introduced ranges. 

Family: Centrarchidae (Sunfishes)
Order: Centrarchiformes
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Illustration by Duane Raver

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