Bluegill: Where and How to Catch Them by Season
Where Bluegill hold, what to throw and when the bite peaks, season by season, with lakes to try.
When the bite is on
Across 1366 lakes in our guide that list this fish, the bite rates highest in April, May, June. Bars show how strong the bite is, month by month (tallest bar in red is the peak).
Season by season
At 50-60F bluegills move from deeper holes to warm, shallow flats near weeds in 3-8 ft. Small jigs, worms, and tiny flies do well on bright afternoons.
They scatter along weed edges, docks and shade, 5-15 ft, and mornings and evenings are most active. Crickets, worms, and small poppers under a bobber are classic.
As water cools, bluegills drift toward deeper weed edges and drop-offs of 8-20 ft. Small jigs and wax worms near the bottom are best.
They gather in deep basins and under ice at 10-25 ft, mostly suspended. Ice jigs tipped with wax worms or spikes fished with tiny movements are best.
Colonies nest in 1-4 ft on sand or gravel when water reaches 67-80F, late spring to summer. Worms, small jigs or poppers placed over beds draw bites.
Baits that work
- Worms and crickets
- Wax worms
- 1/64-1/32 oz jigs
- Small poppers and flies
- Tiny spinners
Common mistakes
- Using hooks too big
- Fishing too fast
- Taking only the biggest nest fish from a colony
- Standing too close to clear shallow water
Lakes to try
Lakes in our guide where this fish rates at its best, with maps, boat ramps and bait shops on every page.