Sunfish

Minnesota has several sunfish species, but the most popular with anglers are the bluegill and the pumpkinseed. Both are found in most of the state's lakes and streams. Both spawn from late May well into the summer. The bluegill tends to grow larger than the pumpkinseed. Though both have a blue spot on the ear flap, the pumpkinseed also has some bright orange at the very edge of the flap. Also, bluegills tend to be mostly olive colored while pumpkinseeds are more orange colored.

Sunfish are particularly prone to "stunting." Lakes that have good spawning habitat but not much food can produce swarms of small adult sunnies that never grow larger than four or five inches.

• Nature snapshots: Bluegill

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