Freshwater
Channel Catfish
Where to find them, how to catch them and the tackle to use.
01Introduction
The channel catfish is the most widespread and popular catfish in North America: a sleek, fork-tailed, whiskered fish that grows big, fights hard and is excellent to eat. It's native east of the Rockies and has been stocked into rivers, reservoirs and park ponds across the country. Channel cats bite best at night but can be caught any time, on everything from stink bait to live bluegills.
02Where to Catch
Range: native east of the Rocky Mountains from southern Canada to northeastern Mexico, with populations on parts of the Atlantic and Gulf slopes. Stocking has spread channel cats nationwide.
Habitat: most abundant in rivers and large streams with low to moderate current, over sand, gravel or rock, and in lakes, reservoirs and ponds.
- Rivers: deep pools and runs, especially the head of a pool just below a riffle, below dams, and cover such as logjams and undercut banks.
- Lakes and reservoirs: shallow to moderate depths; feeding flats, weed edges, windblown shorelines and the mouths of tributaries.
- Seasonally: at ice-out, shallow bays and windblown shorelines where dead baitfish collect; before spawning, below dams and at tributary mouths; in fall, the first drop-off from the flats into deeper water, then deep wintering areas.
03How to Catch
Bottom fishing
The classic method is simple: a hook and sliding sinker (a fish-finder or slip-sinker rig) fished on the bottom from shore or an anchored boat. Channel cats find food by smell and taste but also by sight, so they'll take a wide range of baits: nightcrawlers, chicken liver, cut shad or sucker, commercial dip and stink baits, cheese baits, shrimp and grasshoppers. In rivers, let a crawler, crayfish tail or hellgrammite drift and bounce along the bottom.
Through the seasons
- Ice-out: some of the easiest fishing of the year. Wind piles winterkilled shad and other baitfish into shallow bays, and catfish follow. Small pieces of cut shad on a slip-sinker rig work well.
- Late spring: before spawning (around 75°F), channel cats feed heavily. Fresh cut bait from the fish that live in that water is hard to beat.
- Summer: the most consistent season, especially at night. Strong-smelling dip, paste and chunk baits shine.
- Fall: cats stay on shallow flats while the weather is mild, then move to the first break into deeper water after cold fronts. Anchor and spread lines along the break. As the water drops below 60°F, stink baits lose their punch and cats prefer smaller, fresh baits such as cut sucker strips or small live bluegills.
Lures
Channel cats hit lures surprisingly often while anglers are fishing for other species.
04Tackle
A medium to medium-heavy spinning or baitcasting rod with sturdy line, sliding sinkers, swivels and bait hooks covers most channel catfish fishing. Check your state's regulations for catfish size and bag limits.
05Questions anglers ask
How do I tell a channel catfish from a blue or white catfish?
Channel cats have a deeply forked tail, an upper jaw that sticks out past the lower, and, especially when young, small black spots. Blue catfish have 30 or more rays in the anal fin (channel cats have 24 to 29). White catfish have a broader head, a shorter anal fin and a less deeply forked tail.
When do channel catfish spawn?
In late spring or early summer, when the water reaches about 75°F. Males guard the eggs in dark cavities such as logjams, undercut banks and rocks.
Stink bait or cut bait?
Both. Strong-smelling dip, paste and chunk baits draw fish in and catch numbers of cats, especially in summer. Fresh cut bait or live baitfish from the same water tends to fool bigger fish, and stink baits lose effectiveness as the water cools in fall.