Freshwater
White Catfish
Where to find them, how to catch them and the tackle to use.
01Introduction
The white catfish is a smooth, light-gray catfish native to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, often caught alongside channel catfish and mistaken for them. It's smaller than a channel cat, with a broader head and a less deeply forked tail, and it lives in lakes, rivers and the fresh and brackish tidal waters of coastal rivers.
02Where to Catch
Range: native to Atlantic and Gulf slope drainages from the lower Hudson River in New York south to Florida and west to Alabama. It has been introduced in other regions.
Habitat: lakes, ponds, slow rivers and tidal creeks and rivers, including brackish water. Look for white catfish in the same places as channel cats: deeper holes, channel edges and near cover.
03How to Catch
Little is written specifically about white catfish, so fish for them the way you would any catfish: a sliding-sinker or fish-finder rig on the bottom from shore or an anchored boat, baited with nightcrawlers, cut bait, chicken liver or a prepared catfish bait. Summer nights are the most productive time.
04Tackle
Standard catfish bottom-fishing gear: a medium rod, sturdy line, sliding sinkers and bait hooks. Check your state's regulations for catfish limits.
05Questions anglers ask
How do I tell a white catfish from a channel catfish?
White catfish have a broader head, a dusky or black adipose fin, a shorter anal fin and a less deeply forked tail than channel or blue catfish. They also lack the black spots of young channel cats.
Is the white catfish native?
Along the East Coast, yes. It's native to coastal drainages from New York's lower Hudson River to Florida and Alabama, and has been introduced in other regions.