The following fishing calendar is a generalization. In the table below, typical peak fishing times for major freshwater
fishes are listed.
*** =
Excellent Fishing,
** = Good Fishing,
* = Some Fishing.
A moon
emblem means that fishing on the full or new moon should be especially
productive, and a bed icon means the fish are in spawning mode and
typically will be found near the shoreline on beds.
| FISHING CALENDAR | NORTHWEST | NORTH CENTRAL | NORTHEAST | SOUTHWEST | SOUTH |
| JANUARY | Bass * Bluegill * Redear * Specks*** Stripers *** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass * Bluegill * Redear * Specks *** Stripers ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass * Bluegill * Redear * Specks *** Stripers *** Sunshines *** Catfish ** |
Bass * Bluegill * Redear * Specks *** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass ** Bluegill * Redear * Specks *** Sunshines *** Catfish ** Peacocks* |
| FEBRUARY | Bass ** Bluegill * Redear * Specks *** Stripers *** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass ** Bluegill * Redear * Specks *** Stripers *** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass ** Bluegill * Redear * Specks *** Stripers *** Sunshines *** Catfish ** |
Bass *** Bluegill * Redear * Specks *** Sunshines *** Catfish ** |
Bass *** Bluegill ** Redear** Specks *** Sunshines *** Catfish ** Peacocks* |
| MARCH | Bass *** Bluegill ** Redear ** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines ** Catfish *** |
Bass *** Bluegill ** Redear ** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass *** Bluegill ** Redear *** Specks *** Stripers ** Sunshines *** Catfish ** |
Bass *** Bluegill ** Redear *** Specks ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** Tilapia ** |
Bass *** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks *** Sunshines ** Catfish ** Peacocks** |
| APRIL | Bass *** Bluegill ** Redear ** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines Catfish *** |
Bass *** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines Catfish ** |
Bass *** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines Catfish ** |
Bass *** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks * Sunshines * Catfish ** Tilapia ** |
Bass *** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** Peacocks ** |
| MAY | Bass *** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Stripers * Sunshines ** Catfish *** |
Bass *** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass *** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass *** Bluegill *** Redear *** Sunshines * Catfish ** Tilapia ** |
Bass *** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks * Sunshines * Catfish ** Peacocks *** |
| JUNE | Bass ** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Stripers * Sunshines ** Catfish *** |
Bass ** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass ** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Stripers ** Catfish ** |
Bass ** Bluegill *** Redear *** Sunshines * Catfish ** Tilapia ** |
Bass ** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks * Sunshines * Catfish ** Peacocks*** |
| JULY | Bass * Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Stripers * Sunshines ** Catfish *** |
Bass * Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass * Bluegill *** Redear *** Stripers ** Catfish ** |
Bass * Bluegill *** Redear *** Sunshines * Catfish ** Tilapia ** |
Bass ** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks * Sunshines * Catfish ** Peacocks *** |
| AUGUST | Bass * Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Stripers * Sunshines ** Catfish *** |
Bass * Bluegill ** Redear ** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass * Bluegill *** Redear *** Stripers ** Catfish ** |
Bass ** Bluegill *** Redear *** Sunshines * Catfish ** Tilapia ** |
Bass ** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks * Sunshines * Catfish ** Peacocks *** |
| SEPTEMBER | Bass ** Bluegill ** Redear ** Specks ** Stripers *** Sunshines *** Catfish *** |
Bass ** Bluegill ** Redear ** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass ** Bluegill ** Redear ** Stripers ** Sunshines * Catfish ** |
Bass * Bluegill ** Redear ** Sunshines * Catfish ** Tilapia ** |
Bass *** Bluegill ** Redear *** Specks ** Sunshines *** Catfish ** Peacocks ** |
| OCTOBER | Bass ** Bluegill ** Redear ** Specks ** Stripers *** Sunshines *** Catfish *** |
Bass ** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass ** Bluegill ** Redear ** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass ** Bluegill ** Redear ** Specks * Sunshines * Catfish ** Tilapia ** |
Bass *** Bluegill *** Redear *** Specks ** Sunshines *** Catfish ** Peacocks ** |
| NOVEMBER | Bass * Bluegill * Redear * Specks ** Stripers *** Sunshines *** Catfish *** |
Bass * Bluegill ** Redear ** Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass * Bluegill * Redear * Specks ** Stripers ** Sunshines *** Catfish ** |
Bass * Bluegill ** Redear ** Specks ** Sunshines ** Catfish ** Tilapia * |
Bass *** Bluegill ** Redear ** Specks ** Sunshines *** Catfish ** Peacocks ** |
| DECEMBER | Bass * Bluegill * Redear * Specks ** Stripers *** Sunshines *** Catfish ** |
Bass * Bluegill ** Redear ** Specks ** Stripers *** Sunshines ** Catfish ** |
Bass * Bluegill * Redear * Specks *** Stripers *** Sunshines *** Catfish ** |
Bass * Bluegill * Redear * Specks *** Sunshines *** Catfish ** |
Bass *** Bluegill * Redear * Specks *** Sunshines *** Catfish ** Peacocks * |