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Spawn timing & temperature guide

Redear Sunfish spawn timing guide.

Lepomis microlophusWarmwaterColonial Bed spawnerAgency-reported

The Redear Sunfish spawn cycle is driven by water temperature, not calendar date — fish initiate spawn behavior when water reaches 64°F regardless of when that happens in your region. Redear stage similarly to bluegill but typically in deeper water and more structure-tied habitat.

Redear Sunfish spawn temperature gauge

Spawn behavior is driven by water temperature, not calendar date. The same redear sunfish may spawn weeks earlier in southern range than northern — track water temp, not the date.

32°37°42°47°52°57°62°67°72°77°82°87°Peak 68–72°F
Pre-spawn — best fishingPeak spawn — conservationPost-spawn — recovery feeding·Dashed line = peak spawn boundaries

Redear Sunfish spawn cycle

Pre-Spawn
60–64°F
Trophy fishing
Spawn
64–78°F (peak 68–72°F)
Conservation window
Post-Spawn
78–86°F (~7 days)
Recovery feeding
Summer Pattern
Above 86°F
Standard summer patterns

Phase-by-phase breakdown

Pre-Spawn

Trophy fishing window
60–64°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.

Spawn

Conservation window
64–78°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 feeding
78–86°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 patterns
Above 86°F

Fish disperse to summer habitat and feeding patterns. Spawn cycle complete until following year.

Standard summer fishing tactics apply.

Regional spawn windows

Redear Sunfish spawn timing varies by region. Southern range fish initiate spawn first; northern fish later.

  • Southeast Rivers and ReservoirsMid-April – Late August

    Florida and Gulf states have extended redear spawn from April through August.

    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late August
  • Southern Plains / Ozark / Arkansas River SystemLate April – Late July

    Ozark waters peak May–June.

    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 64°FAprApr — Peak spawn (68–72°F)MayMay — Peak spawn (68–72°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (68–72°F)JulJul — Peak spawn (68–72°F)AugAug — Post-spawn — water at 78°F+SepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late April – Late July
  • Texas River Systems and ReservoirsLate April – Late July

    Texas reservoirs peak May.

    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 64°FAprApr — Peak spawn (68–72°F)MayMay — Peak spawn (68–72°F)JunJun — Peak spawn (68–72°F)JulJul — Peak spawn (68–72°F)AugAug — Post-spawn — water at 78°F+SepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late April – Late July

Spawn habitat

  • Hard-bottom flats with shell or gravel
  • Adjacent to oyster bars or rock structure
  • Slightly deeper than bluegill beds typically
Typical depth: 2–8 ft
Male vs. female behavior

Colonial bed spawners like bluegill but typically spawn slightly earlier in the same waters and use slightly deeper bed sites.

Closed seasons & regulations

No widespread closed seasons during redear sunfish spawn. Voluntary catch and release during peak spawn weeks is the widely-followed best practice in conservation-minded angling.

Farm pond management

Redear are often stocked alongside bluegill in farm ponds for their preference for snail and small mollusk forage. Spawn management mirrors bluegill principles.

Full farm pond spawn guide →

Source

Range and timing data sourced from state agency species profiles in southeastern US.

Source documentation →

Track water temp for redear sunfish spawn timing.

Bield: Fish ties USGS gauge data and your saved species to spawn thresholds. Get notified when redear sunfish hit pre-spawn temperature in your area.

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