Hi guys.
Sunfish/bream (bluegills, red ears, etc.) are a fun little fish for kids to catch (big kids too, especially on a fly rod!)
My question is: nationwide, what’s the very best lake/pond for sunfish fishing, in your opinion?
Let’s limit this discussion to waterways with either “larger” or “normal-sized” sunfish, and not ones with only “very tiny” sunfish.
Thanks!
Dale D.
Dale
This is a very unusual question…. and since I’ve not fished strictly for panfish very often, I’m going to vote for “secret lake” near Owatonna, MN. This particular lake is an old abandoned mine pit that Dave “Hawger” Hoggard somehow managed to get exclusive access to. Unbelieveble numbers of 9″ -11″+ bluegills. He took me there this past spring and nearly every cast using willow spoons and a tiny piece of crawler saw us catch yet another true slab. I can’t even guess how many true monster ‘gills we caught in 4 hours…. and he goes and tells me at the end of the day the bite was ” a bit slow!”
A little slice of heaven… with some monster largemouth to boot!!
How about a vote for Pelican Lake near Orr (Ore?) MN? Haven’t been there since I was a kid and the people that used to go there regularly have moved to AZ but their whole argument was that 2lb. gillies weren’t very uncommon at all and dealing with runts was even less of an issue. Haven’t heard anything in years but it would seem to me that if the same is true today, it’d rank as one of the best producers for quality fish and a well kept secret as well.
there was some lake in Nebraska that Dave Gentz was fishing a few years ago that regularly turned out 2#+ fish….. probably fished out by now…. but it was great……(so Im told!)…..
there are private ponds all over the US that are awesome… this is where you KNOW how much catch and release means to a fish population……
Wow. That may be the toughest question in the world. We’ve fished perhaps four lakes a day at times, depending on the season and the lake conditions. Most of that time we spent hunting for panfish.
We’ve fished nearly every decent lake in the Mpls/St.Paul metro area during the past 10 years and have spent a lot of time fishing in the Osakis area as well, although not on as many lakes. I usually keep the boat out of the water even though we stay right on Osakis when we go. That way, depending on wind conditions and such, we can go to a slightly more sheltered lake in the area.
My vote as far as productive would include a lot of qualifiers. Easy to find, good size, numbers, season, water conditions. By far, the best fishing I’ve ever done for panfish has been in Lake Osakis during the late spring. The fish move into the weeds just as they’re clearing the surface, 3-6 feet of water and it’s amazing. In an hour you can pull out 30 to 50 sunfish that average over 1/2 pound. I’ve caught several over 1 pound. You need just the right conditions to find them. Same thing with crappies, although they suspend in 7 to 10 feet in the deeper weeds and love to move around fast. Big ones, though. And large schools.
Just wish that it wasn’t so hard to find them from year to year.
Mike
Isn’t that wat you called BFD ? A dent headed gill ? 
PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE G-MEN!!!
I had nothing to do with the dent in BFD’s head. As far as I know he was born that way 
..B
#1-Outlet side of dam at Nelson Lake in Hayward, WI. when the run starts the 7-10 inch bulls are just steady. #2 Actually on my futures list. Pool 9 we are already catching some solid bull gills, and I would predict lot’s of 7-11 inchers in a couple of years. Lawrence
My vote would go to Osakis as well. I also think the gills are on steroids or some type of performance enhancer. They fight like mad. Reminds me to get over there soon.
9&10 backwaters are still right up there, especially if you limit your search to the midwest. Fish pushing one pound aren’t so unusual to see throughout the year.
As far as the best nationwide? What a question! My first inclination would be to look South – Tennessee or Missouri. A lot of the big resevoirs get overlooked for ‘gills because people are out to hammer stripers.
Alabama and Mississippi probably have the biggest bulls in the country but… who knows. Within driving distance of the Midwest I would easily say that the lakes of southern Iowa, northern Missouri rank right up there. 10 inchers abound and the easily weigh over a pound. Trouble is, they are most vulnerable during May (spawn). During the summer it is a mystery as to how to catch them.
As a side, I seriously doubt the REGULAR catches of 2lb Blues north of the Missouri line. 
I mean, you are talking a fish of 12 to 13 inches. As much as I would like to dream…..Thought I would get some controversy going there! 
Probably should let this out but in my area, for those of you from this area on the board might know of it when you read this, RUNGE HOLLOW. Enough said! Weather through the ice or open water, it constantly produces huge gills. Not to mention 14+ pound pike that feed on these bohemoth gills. Not uncommon to catch 70-100 gills in a day that are over 8-9″ with them topping out at a wopping 12 3/4″!
I recall a trip to the lake last year with my brother-in-law, we parked between two boats about 20 yards apart and pulled in one after another. These people looked at us like, how are you doing that. Of course I am not going to tell you how but it was sure fun. We released 70+ fish over 8″ that day with the largest at that 12 3/4″ mark. Took my wife down the next day and we kept 31 half gills and half crappie. She had a blast! Make it an annual trip now.
NOT FAR BEHIND THOUGH IS POOL 8-9 BACK WATERS.
Tolden
Hey, D man! If you find anything good, post some info. I haven’t been to Osakis yet this year, but want to go. Haven’t heard much at all from the Alex area in general, but need to get up to Osakis, talk to Norm at the bait shop (my favorite guy) and see what’s up. Need to get to a lake and play some more.
Mike
Until pools 9 and 10 get even close to what they once were it would be hard for me to include them in the “best” catagory. Things are improving, but the old days were so good that it will take a lot to catch up. On a family trip this summer to North and South Dakota we hit some lakes near my Uncle’s farm near the Canadian border and got into some of the biggest bulls I have ever seen (ave. 1 1/2 lbs). The lake was right on the border near Lignite. In the same holes we pulled out a bunch huge white crawdads that wouldn’t let go of our crawlers. In Wisconsin the chain of lakes at Chetek can produce some nice gillies and a lot of crappies to boot (I like Prairie and Pokegama best).
I have been reading and hearing alot about Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee. I don’t even think they have a limit there is so many. Has anyone been there?
Will do mudlnthru. I will get there soon, it’s only a hour or so drive for me. my drive brings me past so many other good lakes to get there. Like you mentioned, that area is dynamite for pan fish. But Osakis holds the big’uns if you find them.
My vote goes to Rush Lake south of Perham, MN. Even I can catch nice size Gils there. 
I havent caught any serious numbers, but the quality of Lake Vermilion is amazing. Most are 3/4 lb+.
My grandma is on 3rd Crow Wing. Certain times of year we catch numbers of real solid 1/2-1 lb fish w/ pieces of crawlers or leech deep in pockets of pencil reeds.
I have fished Lake ReelFoot in Tenn. and caught numerous gills in the 1 to 2 pounds range . Also a world class crappie lake with fish in the 4 to 4.5 pound class. Santee Cooper in South Carolina is also a fantastic fishery for world record Redears. 
Do the Crappie and other panfish out of Reelfoot and other Southern lakes taste as good as our IA, IL, MN & WI fish? My Brother-in–law fishes Crappie at Eufala Lake in Oklahoma and says they are not near as good as ours up North.
I am going to put my vote in for a place around Plum City WI, Called Nugget Lake. If you get them on the right time you can caught them 12+ inches. Through the ice you are pulling them up over 30+ feet of water. 
Look no further than Lake Onalaska 
I saw a show once where they were panfishing on Okeechobee in Florida and they were catching some monster shellcrakers.
Gator Hunter
Gator, you beat me to it, I was going to say Okeechobee also, a number of years ago, when I was learning Taxidermy, the guy I learned from bought my sunfish I worked on from a commercial fish market near Chicago, from big O, solid 2lbs Shellcracker. Jack.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
