Lepomis gibbosus
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Pumpkinseed

Above: A Pumpkinseed Sunfish. Photo by Sam Borstein.

Etymology:

Genus- Lepomis= scaled gill (Greek).
Species- gibbosus= wide margin (Greek).

Intro:

The Pumpkinseed, a sunfish related to the bluegill, is a fun fish to catch. This species, which is extremely colorful, gets its name from the orange spots on its body.


Habitat:

Pumpkinseeds can be found anywhere, lakes, rivers, ponds, anywhere. This fish is not picky, but will spend time by weeds and sunken logs.

Spawning:

Pumpkinseeds spawn in mid-May to mid-June in shallow water. Peak spawning is when the water is about 65-75 °F.

Diet:

Pumpkinseeds are not picky eaters. They will eat insects, insect larvae, small fish, and eggs.

Size:

Pumpkinseeds grow larger than bluegills. The average ones I caught on the chain were 8-12 inches, some being about a pound.

Keeping In Aquaria:

Breeding has been achieved in an aquarium. This fish can easily be kept in a fish tank with minimal issues. The one downside to keeping this fish in captivity like many other sunfish is they lose a lot of color.

Gaming Qualities:

This fish is fun to catch, especially on ultra light gear. This fish puts up a lot more of a fight than a bluegill.

Fishing Tips:

I use any rod when fishing for Pumpkinseeds. This fish can easily be caught on worms, waxies, and flies.