Abstract <p>The paper presents information about the feeding characteristics of sun perch in the reservoirs of the Donetsk Ridge. A change in the species composition of forage objects and the intensity of fish nutrition depending on their age and the characteristics of the reservoirs of the Donetsk Ridge was revealed. As found in our research, age-dependent changes in the composition of feed objects occur in <i>Lepomis gibbosus</i> as follows: at the age of 0+, 100% zooplankton; 1+ and older, macrobenthos and fish. Since the second year of life, <i>Lepomis gibbosus</i> has been prone to predation and cannibalism. At the same time, the intensity of feeding of individuals by the age of 5+ increases by 3 times compared with fingerlings. In addition, the reservoirs of the Donetsk Ridge are marked by different feeding conditions for <i>Lepomis gibbosus</i>: for individuals aged 0+ and 1+, the food supply is richer on Lake Grabov; at an older age, in the Seversky Donets, Aidar, and Mius rivers, because the conditions in limnic reservoirs contribute to the development of zooplankton and macrobenthos, and the water flow in lotic reservoirs limits the volume of aquatic vegetation.</p>