Rarely pumpkinseeds are found in fast moving water. A pumpkinseed goes through no real changes throughout the year. One thing that pumpkinseeds do is when winter approaches they move into deeper water. When spring arrives the water temperatures begin to rise and pumpkinseeds start moving back to shallow water. They then begin to build nests and find mates.
Pumpkinseeds tend to remain active throughout the day.
You can usually observe this species from dusk until dawn. At sunrise and sunset they become very active due to the insect activity on the water s surface. Pumpkinseeds do not usually venture into deep water, they tend to stay in their shallow, densely vegetated environments. Males build their nests in warm, shallow water. He uses his caudal fin to clear a suitable space in the sandy bottom for his nest.