Catching Bluegill on Shore

• According to the Indiana Online Fishing Guide for the 2010-2011 season, bank fishing is a popular method to catch bluegill in the month of August, as they are often near structures close to shore. The site recommends using fishing bobbers with live bait, which are successful even for the youngest fishers. Some of the best spots for bank fishing are in Brown County State Park's Ogle Lake, which is 17 acres, as well as the seven-acre Strahl Lake. Both have heavy bluegill populations and plenty of shore-side fishing spots.
  
  

Bluegill Fishing by County

• Bluegill and redear sunfish, according to the Indiana Online Fishing Guide for the 2010-2011 fishing season, can be caught in many lakes and rivers statewide, but they are the only fish caught at Dekalb County's Story Lake, Kosciusko County's Barrel and a Half, Hammond and Kuhn Lake, and Noble County's Bear, Big, Crane, Diamond, Eagle, Engle, Indian Village, Knapp, Sacarider, Smalley and Sparta Lake. When located near one other species of fish, bluegill are usually found in the same waters as catfish, largemouth bass or both.
  
  

Why August?

• According to the website Sunfish, bluegill reproduce from May through early August, with the peak of their spawn season occurring in June. Fishing after the peak spawning season can help anglers reel in those bluegill that have come near shore to spawn. Bluegill also feed most often when water temperatures are between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, making August a perfect month for bluegill fishing.
  
  

Consumption Advisory

• According to a study done by the Wild Fish Consumption Advisory, samples of bluegill taken from Marquette Lagoon in Lake County and Henderson Lake in Noble County were classed as fish that should only be eaten at one meal every two months.
  
  

State Bluegill Records

• The largest bluegill on record in the state of Indiana was caught by Harold L. Catey in 1972. Caught in an unnamed pond in Greene County, the bluegill weighed 3 lbs., 4 oz.
  
  

Fishing Licenses

• A fishing license is required for all Indiana bluegill fishers that are over 18 and under 67 years of age. Available online at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources website, fishing licenses must be shown to conservation officers on request if fishing for bluegill in Indiana waters. License exceptions are made for persons who are legally blind, residents of health care facilities taking part in fishing trips, military personnel on leave and persons fishing on private property.
  
  

Daily Limits and Size Restrictions

• With the exception of J.C. Murphey Lake in Indiana's Newton County, which requires a daily bag limit of 25 sunfish per day, there are no size or daily limit restrictions for bluegill fishing in the state of Indiana.