The Wolter Report: Have you ever caught a Warmouth?
The Wolter Report (Max Wolter, DNR fisheries biologist, Hayward): Anglers fishing the Hayward area may occasionally catch a warmouth, a small brown or almost purple sunfish with black stripes around the eyes. Warmouth are similar in body shape to rock bass, including a noticeably larger mouth than a bluegill or pumpkinseed.
Some anglers who encounter warmouth believe they are a hybrid of other sunfish, but they are in fact their own species, native to Wisconsin and found in the Couderay and Chippewa rivers’ basin lakes. Compared to other panfish in our area, they are never found in high abundance or great size and seem to mind their own business, likely eating insects and small crayfish. To anglers who enjoy diversity, they are just another species on the fishing bucket list!
