Guide To Popular Panfish Fishing Options In Iowa

All about fishing for sunfish and perch in IA lakes and ponds.

Throughout the state you can find waters with populations of sunfish, including bluegill, flier sunfish, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, longear sunfish, pumpkinseed sunfish, redbreast sunfish, redear sunfish, rock bass, tilapia, warmouth, white bass, white perch, yellow bass and yellow perch. Ice fishing for perch and bluegill is popular at most lakes in winter.

Panfish, Sunfish & Perch Lakes

All the major lakes including Big Creek Lake, Big Spirit Lake, Black Hawk Lake, Browns Lake, Brushy Creek Lake, Clear Lake, Coralville Lake, DeSoto Lake, East Okoboji Lake, Five Island Lake, Lake Icaria, Lake MacBride, Lake Manawa, Lake Red Rock, Little River Lake, Little Spirit Lake, Lost Grove Lake, Lost Island Lake, North Twin Lake, Okamanpeedan Lake, Pleasant Creek Lake, Rathbun Lake, Rock Creek Lake, Saylorville Lake, Silver Lake, Storm Lake, Three Mile Reservoir, Trumbull Lake, Twelve Mile Creek Lake and West Okoboji Lake have quality populations of panfish.

Top Producing Panfish Lures & Bait

Check out the top producing lures and bait for bluegill, redear sunfish, rock bass and warmouth, as well as other smaller sunfish. Click here for the best lures for white bass, yellow bass, white perch and yellow perch.

Click the images and links above for species details.

Iowa State Record Sunfish

The state record bluegill was caught from a farm pond.

The state record green sunfish came from a farm pond.

The state record pumpkinseed sunfish came out of Lake Petocka.

The state record redear sunfish came out of a farm pond.

The state record rockbass was caught in the Mississippi River.

The state record warmouth came out of a farm pond.

The state record white bass came from East Okoboji Lake.

The state record yellow bass was served up by Lake Manawa.

The state record yellow perch was caught from a private pond.

The term "panfish" comprises many species, each called by a variety of names. The bluegill tops the list and is the most common.

Chances are there are no lakes of any consequence in IA that do not have a population of panfish. One or more species of sunfish populate virtually all warm water streams, ponds and lakes throughout Iowa, and around the world for that matter. They can survive in waters that provide their natural food source of minnows, insects, crustaceans and worms. Their competitive nature amongst themselves, for food, makes them relatively easy to catch.

Panfish are prolific spawners and repopulate the waters as fast as they are harvested. A common problem with panfish fishing is that the waters are under-fished causing panfish to overpopulate. As a result they tend to stay small in size due to lack of food source.

Bluegill Fishing Basics Video

The core principles shown in this video will work for most sunfish, perch and other panfish.

Sunfish information in other states.