Redear Sunfish in Indiana
DNR limits, the state record and Indiana waters for redear sunfish.
- 25 a daybag
- 3 lb. 10 oz.record
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Indiana redear sunfish at a glance
Look up "Redear Sunfish" in the statewide table of the Indiana guide for the redear sunfish bag. The daily figure reads: 25. Size line: no size limit.
The Indiana Record Fish Program lists 3 lb. 10 oz. as the top redear sunfish, from Pond in 1974. Start with Monroe Lake, Patoka Lake and Brookville Lake; 522 Indiana water pages list it. The guide alters its limit on 4 waters, for example J.C. Murphey Lake and Fidler Pond. The DNR dashboard logs 783,931 released into 41 waters since 2016.
Redear Sunfish (Lepomis microlophus), Centrarchidae (sunfishes).
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| Where | Row as printed | Daily | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| statewide | Redear Sunfish | 25 | no size limit |
Statewide limits as printed, 2026-2027 Indiana Fishing Regulations Guide (eRegulations, linked from the Indiana DNR), read November 5, 2026.
Where the guide changes the redear sunfish limit
| Water as printed | County | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| J.C. Murphey Lake | Newton | Daily bag limit 25 singly or in aggregate |
| Fidler Pond | Elkhart | 15 per day in any combination |
| Failing Lake (Gentian Lake) | Steuben | 15 per day in any combination |
| Flat Fork Creek Park ponds A and B | Hamilton | 15 per day in any combination |
Special regulation waters as printed, 2026-2027 Indiana Fishing Regulations Guide (eRegulations, linked from the Indiana DNR), read November 5, 2026.
The state-record redear sunfish
| Weight as printed | Water | County | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 lb. 10 oz. | Pond | Brown County | 1974 |
Indiana DNR Indiana Record Fish Program list (keeper: Indiana DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife (Indiana Record Fish Program); angler names left off here), read November 5, 2026.
Hoosier waters naming redear sunfish
- Monroe Lake10,750 acres, Monroe County
- Patoka Lake8,800 acres, Crawford County
- Brookville Lake4,364 acres (NHD outline area), Franklin County
- Lake Wawasee3,426 acres (NHD outline area), Kosciusko County
- Salamonie Lake2,874 acres (NHD outline area), Wabash County
- Mississinewa Lake2,160 acres (NHD outline area), Wabash County
- Lake Maxinkuckee1,910 acres (NHD outline area), Marshall County
- Cecil M Harden Lake1,674 acres (NHD outline area), Parke County
- Turtle Creek Reservoir1,558 acres (NHD outline area), Sullivan County
- Cagles Mill Lake1,400 acres, Owen County
- Prairie Creek Reservoir1,258 acres (NHD outline area), Delaware County
- Dogwood Lake1,235 acres (NHD outline area), Daviess County
- Eagle Creek Reservoir1,128 acres (NHD outline area), Marion County
- Summit Lake (Henry County)819 acres (NHD outline area), Henry County
- Lake Manitou810 acres (NHD outline area), Fulton County
- Crooked Lake (Steuben County)801 acres (NHD outline area), Steuben County
- Cedar Lake (Lake County)797 acres (NHD outline area), Lake County
- J.C. Murphey Lake754 acres (NHD outline area), Newton County
- Hardy Lake741 acres, Scott County
- Sylvan Lake653 acres (NHD outline area), Noble County
- Webster Lake650 acres (NHD outline area), Kosciusko County
- Big Chapman Lake640 acres (NHD outline area), Kosciusko County
- Dewart Lake550 acres (NHD outline area), Kosciusko County
- West Boggs Lake546 acres (NHD outline area), Daviess County
Indiana DNR public lakes layer (county, owner, fisheries district number, location text), read November 5, 2026.
DNR hatchery releases of redear sunfish
| Water as listed | Fish since 2016 |
|---|---|
| J.C. Murphey Lake | 558,855 |
| Manitou, Lake | 81,388 |
| Troxel Lake | 34,557 |
| Grouse Ridge Lake | 22,959 |
| Lincoln, Lake | 13,507 |
| Yellowwood Lake | 13,028 |
| Chrisney Lake | 5,700 |
| W. Keith Ruble Lake | 5,500 |
| Garvin Park Lake | 4,914 |
| Dove Hollow Lake | 4,750 |
Indiana DNR fish stocking dashboard (year, month, water, species, number and average length as listed; repeat stockings summed by DNR), read November 5, 2026.
Close relatives of Indiana redear sunfish
- Black Crappie25 a day
- Bluegillno bag limit
- Flierno statewide row
- Green Sunfishno statewide row
- Largemouth Bass5 a day
- Rock Bass25 a day
- Smallmouth Bass5 a day
- Spotted Bass5 a day
- Warmouthno statewide row
- White Crappie25 a day
Piscifun tackle for the next run to Indiana redear sunfish
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What the banks by Redear Sunfish look like
Photo: Mike Maehr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Kyle Hartshorn, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Warren LeMay, CC0 1.0
Photo: jonnyabcde, CC BY 2.0
Hoosier angler questions on redear sunfish
What does the Indiana guide allow for redear sunfish per day?
Daily: 25. Size: no size limit.
How heavy is Indiana's redear sunfish record?
Pond produced it in 1974: 3 lb. 10 oz.
Which Indiana waters hold redear sunfish?
Monroe Lake, Patoka Lake and Brookville Lake lead a list of 522 Indiana pages.
Which Indiana waters change the redear sunfish rule?
J.C. Murphey Lake and others, 4 waters in all.
Do Indiana hatcheries raise redear sunfish?
783,931 fish went to 41 waters since 2016 (2026 most recent).
Must a visitor buy a license for Indiana redear sunfish?
Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents).
How does the DNR list redear sunfish scientifically?
Lepomis microlophus; family Centrarchidae (sunfishes), on the DNR Fishes of Indiana list.
Do Free Fishing Days cover redear sunfish?
The Indiana DNR set Free Fishing Days for May 10, June 6-7, and Sept. 26, 2026, for Indiana residents (no license or trout/salmon stamp needed; all other rules apply). Limits still apply on those days.
Set out for Indiana redear sunfish
Pick one of those Indiana waters for its ramps.