Redear Sunfish State & World Records
Redear sunfish are one of the most popular sunfish species. Below you will learn what makes a trophy redear and the state and world records.
World Record Redear Sunfish
The biggest redear sunfish ever caught weighted 6 pounds, 4 ounce. This world record was caught on Lake Havasu in Arizona by Thomas Farchione in 2021.
Redear Sunfish Records by State
| State | Weight | Location | Caught By | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 4 lbs 4 oz | Chattahoochee Park | Jeff Lashley | 5/5/1962 |
| Arizona | 6 lbs 4 oz | Lake Havasu | Thomas Farchione | 5/4/2021 |
| Arkansas | 2 lbs 14 oz | Bois d’Arc Lake | Glenda Tatom | 5/4/1985 |
| Colorado | 0.95 lbs | Stalker Lake | Craig McNitt | |
| Delaware | 3 lbs 1 ozs. | N/A | Marty Messick | 6/20/1905 |
| Florida | 4.86 lbs | Merritts Mill Pond, Jackson County | Joseph Floyd | 3/13/1986 |
| Georgia | 4 lb 2 oz | Richmond Co. Pond | Pat Lawrence | 6/1/1995 |
| Illinois | 2 lbs 12.3 oz | Marion CC Lake | Mike DeMattei | 9/7/1985 |
| Indiana | 3 lb 10 oz | Pond, Brown County | C.R. Peckman | 5/27/1905 |
| Kansas | 1.69 lbs | Finney Wildlife Area | Larry Fox | 7/4/1995 |
| Kentucky | 3 lbs 1 oz | Farm Pond | Betty Truax | 5/24/1982 |
| Louisiana | 2.87 lbs | Caney Lake | Jerry Smelley | 1998 |
| Maryland | 2.3 lbs | Gilbert Run | Vittie Alkocius | |
| Michigan | 1.97 lbs | Thompson Lake | Richard F. Alber | 6/24/1905 |
| Mississippi | 3.33 lbs | Tippah County Lake | James Martin | 11/5/1991 |
| Missouri | 2 lbs 7 oz | Glenda Gollaher | 5/28/1988 | |
| Nebraska | 1 lbs 10 oz | Rock Creek Lake | Charles I. Jones | 6/8/1990 |
| Nevada | 1 lbs 8 oz | Colorado River | Larry Cross | 6/21/1905 |
| North Carolina | 4 lbs 15 oz | N/A | Travis Jackson | 5/19/2008 |
| Ohio | 3.58 lbs | Licking County farm Pond | Bert Redman | 10/2/1998 |
| Oklahoma | 2 lbs 1.25 oz | Logan Co. Pond | Ruby Lee Farmer | 11/5/1973 |
| Oregon | 1lbs 15.5 oz | Reynolds Pond | Terence Bice | 6/14/1905 |
| South Carolina | 5 lbs 7 oz | Diversion Canal | Amos Gay | 6/20/1905 |
| Tennessee | 3 lbs 6 oz | Private Pond | Annelise S. Houston | Sept. 1, 1979 |
| Texas | 2 lbs 15.84 oz | Town Lake | John Runnels | 4/1/1997 |
| Virginia | 4 lbs 12 oz | Private Pond | Michael Mills | 4/28/1986 |
What state has the biggest redear sunfish?
Arizona is the state with the largest redear caught in the United States and current world record. It weighed 6 lbs 4 oz and was caught on Lake Havasu.
What is the average size redear sunfish?
The average size redear sunfish seen in the wild falls in the 7-9 inch range. This is much smaller than the world record of 6 lbs 4 oz.
What size redear sunfish is considered a trophy?
Redear sunfish start to be considered trophy size at 11 inches long.