FishLimit

IN · Bluegill and redear sunfish

Indiana bluegill and redear sunfish limits

Indiana treats its two main panfish differently: there is no daily limit on bluegill, but redear sunfish (shellcracker) are capped at 25 a day. Neither has a minimum size. A few waters are stricter: J.C. Murphey Lake allows 25 bluegill, redear and crappie combined, and three small special-regulation waters cap the same three species at 15 combined.

Verified 2026-10-31

Updated

Limits at a glance

Regulation period: April 2026 through March 31, 2027.

Bluegill, statewide public waters

Daily limit
No daily limit

DatesOpen all year

Size ruleNo minimum length

Redear sunfish, statewide public waters

Daily limit
25 per day

DatesOpen all year

Size ruleNo minimum length

J.C. Murphey Lake (Newton County)

Daily limit
25 bluegill, redear sunfish and crappie, singly or combined

DatesYear-round (as printed)

Size ruleNo minimum length

Fidler Pond (Elkhart County), Failing Lake, also called Gentian Lake (Steuben County), and Flat Fork Creek Park ponds A and B (Hamilton County)

Daily limit
15 bluegill, redear sunfish and crappie combined

DatesYear-round (as printed)

Size ruleNo minimum length listed for these species

Watch for

  • Indiana's possession limit is twice the daily bag, so 50 redear sunfish. It does not count fish already processed and stored at your primary residence.
  • Crappie have their own statewide limit of 25 a day, separate from bluegill and redear everywhere except J.C. Murphey Lake and the special-regulation waters listed above.
  • The Ohio River has its own section in the guide (page 24); its daily limit table does not list bluegill or redear.
  • These figures come from the 2026-27 guide, which runs to March 31, 2027. We will re-check them when the next guide is published.

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Indiana · Bluegill and sunfish

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Quick answers

What is the daily limit for bluegill and redear sunfish in Indiana?

Bluegill, statewide public waters: No daily limit. Size rule: No minimum length. Other waters and date windows have different rules; see the table. Verify with Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Fish & Wildlife.

Which regulations do these Indiana figures come from?

April 2026 through March 31, 2027, as published by Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Fish & Wildlife. Last verified 2026-10-31.