Warmouth - Lepomis gulosus

Also known as: Goggle-eye, Goggle-eyed Perch, Stump-knocker

The warmouth occurs in North America in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins from western Pennsylvania to Minnesota in the USA, and south to the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic and Gulf drainages from Rappahannock River in Virginia to Rio Grande in Texas and New Mexico.

This small panfish can be found wherever dense weed beds and soft, muddy bottoms exist, and it is frequently caught near stumps. It is better able to tolerate turbid or muddy waters than most species.

It is a stocky, bass-like sunfish, and like the rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) and the green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus), its body is slightly thicker and longer than most sunfishes. It can be distinguished from the rock bass by the presence of three spines. Of these three species, the warmouth is the only one that has teeth on the tongue. Its color ranges from olive to gray with mottling on the sides and back, and small spots on the dorsal and anal fins.

Although it is an excellent panfish, it is not actively sought by a great many anglers.