Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
An adaptable bottom-feeder with sensitive whisker-like barbels used to locate food by smell and taste, the channel catfish thrives in warm rivers, reservoirs, and lakes across the continent. It's a favorite for night fishing with cut bait or stink bait near deep holes and current breaks.
Deep holes, current breaks, and murky bottoms in warm water.
How to Catch Channel Catfish
Whether you're new to targeting Channel Catfish or refining your approach, success starts with matching your tactics to where the fish lives. Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is typically found in river water, lake water, and reservoir water, so concentrate your effort where those conditions line up. Mature Channel Catfish average around 20 inches, which helps you choose the right line, lure size, and tackle for the fight.
Where to Find Channel Catfish in the USA & Canada
Channel Catfish is recorded across a range of North American waters, including spots in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Saskatchewan, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Browse the linked water guides below to see the specific lakes, rivers, and coastal waters where anglers report catching Channel Catfish, then plan a trip around the water closest to you.
Channel Catfish Fishing Regulations & Limits
Fishing rules for Channel Catfish vary by state and province. Before you head out, check the daily bag limits, minimum size limits, and open seasons that apply in your area. When FishFinder has matching records, the regulations link below takes you to the rules hub. Following local limits keeps Channel Catfish populations healthy for future seasons.
Related Water Guides for Channel Catfish
Explore these FishFinder water guides for places where Channel Catfish is recorded:
- Mississippi River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Yellowstone River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Columbia River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Winnipeg — Channel Catfish fishing water
- South Saskatchewan River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Qu'Appelle River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Red River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Assiniboine River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake of the Prairies — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Winnipeg River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Guntersville — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Wheeler Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Wilson Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Pickwick Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Weiss Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lay Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Logan Martin Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Neely Henry Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Martin — Channel Catfish fishing water
- R.L. Harris Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Yates Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Thurlow Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Walter F. George Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- West Point Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lewis Smith Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Alabama River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Mobile-Tensaw Delta — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Jackson (Florala) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Powell — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Mead — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Mohave — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Havasu — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Colorado River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Theodore Roosevelt Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Apache Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Canyon Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Saguaro Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Bartlett Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Pleasant — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Alamo Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Upper Lake Mary — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Chevelon Canyon Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Becker Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Bull Shoals Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Norfork — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Beaver Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Greers Ferry Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Ouachita — Channel Catfish fishing water
- DeGray Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Greeson — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Dardanelle — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Chicot — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Buffalo National River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Arkansas River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lower Mississippi River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Clear Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Shasta Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Oroville — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Folsom Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Berryessa — Channel Catfish fishing water
- San Luis Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- New Melones Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Diamond Valley Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Sonoma — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Pine Flat Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Almanor — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Castaic Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sacramento River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Feather River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- American River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Colorado River (California) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Cahuilla — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Navajo Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Chatfield Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Pueblo Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- John Martin Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Horsetooth Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Lillinonah — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Zoar — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Connecticut River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Nanticoke River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Delaware River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Chesapeake & Delaware Canal — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Okeechobee — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake George — Channel Catfish fishing water
- St. Johns River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Rodman Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Suwannee River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Santa Fe River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Seminole — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Talquin — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Chipola River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Apalachicola River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Perdido River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Ochlockonee River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- St. Marys River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Walter F. George — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Coosa River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Etowah River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Flint River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Savannah River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Altamaha River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Ogeechee River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Oconee River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Wahiawā Reservoir (Lake Wilson) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- C.J. Strike Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Brownlee Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Lowell — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Snake River (Hells Canyon) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Mississippi River (Illinois-Iowa Border) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Illinois River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Heidecke Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Braidwood Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- LaSalle Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Powerton Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Clinton Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sangchris Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Decatur — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Springfield — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Coffeen Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Carlyle Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Rend Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Kinkaid Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Crab Orchard Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Ohio River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Wabash River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- White River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Tippecanoe River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sugar Creek — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Blue River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Monroe Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Patoka Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Brookville Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cecil M. Harden Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cagles Mill Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Mississinewa Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Salamonie Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- J. Edward Roush Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Turtle Creek Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Wawasee — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Webster Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Geist Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- West Okoboji Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Spirit Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Clear Lake (Iowa) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Storm Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Big Creek Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Pleasant Creek Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Rathbun — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Saylorville Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Red Rock — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Coralville Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Mississippi River (Iowa Waters) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Missouri River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Big Sioux River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cedar River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Des Moines River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Iowa River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Upper Iowa River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Turkey River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Milford Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Wilson Reservoir (Kansas) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cheney Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Clinton Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Perry Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- El Dorado Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Kanopolis Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Glen Elder Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Tuttle Creek Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Melvern Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cedar Bluff Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Council Grove Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Marion Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Pomona Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Hillsdale Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Big Hill Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- John Redmond Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lovewell Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Kansas River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Arkansas River (Kansas) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Kentucky Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Barkley — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Cumberland — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Dale Hollow Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Barren River Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cave Run Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Green River Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Taylorsville Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Nolin River Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Rough River Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Laurel River Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Grayson Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Buckhorn Lake (Kentucky) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Dewey Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Fishtrap Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Yatesville Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Herrington Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cumberland River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Kentucky River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Elkhorn Creek — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Green River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Toledo Bend Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Caddo Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sabine River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Poverty Point Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- False River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Eagle Lake (Louisiana) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- John K. Kelly-Grand Bayou Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Bussey Brake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- D'Arbonne Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Atchafalaya Basin — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lac des Allemands — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Verret — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Bistineau — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cross Lake (Louisiana) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Claiborne — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Chicot Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Black Lake (Louisiana) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Red River (Louisiana) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Ouachita River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Henderson Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Potomac River (Upper) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Monocacy River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Liberty Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Loch Raven Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Piney Run Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Little Seneca Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Conowingo Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Triadelphia Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Connecticut River (Massachusetts) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake St. Clair (Michigan) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Saginaw Bay — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Erie (Michigan) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Thornapple Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- St. Croix River (Minnesota) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Pepin — Channel Catfish fishing water
- St. Louis River Estuary — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Red River of the North — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Big Stone Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Ross Barnett Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Grenada Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sardis Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Enid Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Arkabutla Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Pickwick Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Eagle Lake (Mississippi) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Washington — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Moon Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Choctaw Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Davis Lake (Chickasaw County) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Lamar Bruce — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Monroe — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Okhissa — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Calling Panther Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Neshoba County Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Tangipahoa (Percy Quin State Park) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Pascagoula River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Bogue Homa — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake of the Ozarks — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Harry S. Truman Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Table Rock Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Bull Shoals Lake (Missouri) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Norfork Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Stockton Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Pomme de Terre Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Mark Twain Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Smithville Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Wappapello Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Long Branch Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Thomas Hill Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Montrose Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Current River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Meramec River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Big Piney River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Gasconade River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- James River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Elk River (Missouri) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Mississippi River (Pools 20-26) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Missouri River (Montana) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Bighorn River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Bighorn Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Fort Peck Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Tongue River Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Musselshell River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake McConaughy — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Ogallala — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Merritt Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Calamus Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Harlan County Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sherman Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Elwood Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Branched Oak Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Wanahoo — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lewis and Clark Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Missouri River (Nebraska Waters) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Box Butte Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Minatare — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Zorinsky Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Red Willow Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Grove Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Two Rivers SRA — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Wagon Train Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Prairie Queen Recreation Area — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sutherland Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Johnson Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Maloney — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Willow Creek Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lahontan Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Rye Patch Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Washoe Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Wildhorse Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- South Fork Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Mead (Nevada) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Mohave (Nevada) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Colorado River below Davis Dam — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Hopatcong — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Greenwood Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Spruce Run Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Monksville Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Mercer Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Alloway Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Manasquan Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Union Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Delaware River (New Jersey) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Raritan River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Navajo Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Abiquiu Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cochiti Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Elephant Butte Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Caballo Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Conchas Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Ute Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Santa Rosa Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sumner Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Brantley Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Bluewater Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Clayton Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Roberts — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Bill Evans Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- San Juan River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Pecos River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Animas River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Hudson River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Norman — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Wylie — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Badin Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Tillery — Channel Catfish fishing water
- High Rock Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- B. Everett Jordan Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Shearon Harris Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- John H. Kerr Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Gaston — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Roanoke Rapids Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Roanoke River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cape Fear River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Neuse River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- New River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Dan River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Sakakawea — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Oahe — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Missouri River (North Dakota) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Garrison Dam Tailrace — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Red River (North Dakota) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Bois de Sioux River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Maumee River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sandusky River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Ohio River (Ohio) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Pymatuning Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Alum Creek Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Hoover Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Indian Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Buckeye Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Grand Lake St. Marys — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Mosquito Creek Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Berlin Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- West Branch Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- LaDue Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Milton — Channel Catfish fishing water
- C.J. Brown Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Salt Fork Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Paint Creek Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Caesar Creek Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Rocky Fork Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Piedmont Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Seneca Lake (Ohio) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Tappan Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Knox Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Acton Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Burr Oak Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Texoma — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Grand Lake O' the Cherokees — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Eufaula — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Tenkiller — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Fort Gibson Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Skiatook Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sooner Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Thunderbird — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Carl Blackwell — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Arcadia Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Hefner — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Overholser — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Arbuckle Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Konawa Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Great Salt Plains Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Broken Bow Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Murray — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Keystone Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Blue River (Oklahoma) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Illinois River (Oklahoma) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Arkansas River (Oklahoma) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Kiamichi River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lower Red River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- John Day River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Umatilla River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Susquehanna River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Juniata River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Arthur — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Nockamixon Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Blue Marsh Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Marburg — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Shenango River Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Frances Slocum Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Marion — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Moultrie — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Murray (South Carolina) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Greenwood — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Wateree — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Sharpe — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Francis Case — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Traverse — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Poinsett — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Kampeska — Channel Catfish fishing water
- James River (South Dakota) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Angostura Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Belle Fourche Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Shadehill Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cheyenne River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Grand River (South Dakota) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- White River (South Dakota) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Reelfoot Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Old Hickory Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- J. Percy Priest Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cordell Hull Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Tims Ford Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Center Hill Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Chickamauga Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Nickajack Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Watts Bar Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Parksville Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Fort Loudoun Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Melton Hill Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Norris Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cherokee Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Douglas Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Boone Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- South Holston Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Watauga Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Duck River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Fork — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sam Rayburn Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- O.H. Ivie Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Alan Henry — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Athens — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Conroe — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Livingston — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Trinity River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Choke Canyon Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Ray Hubbard — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Tawakoni — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Richland Chambers Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Bob Sandlin — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake O' the Pines — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Fayette County Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Grapevine Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lady Bird Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Guadalupe River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Devils River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Falcon International Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Amistad — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Whitney — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Possum Kingdom Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Belton — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Utah Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Willard Bay Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Pineview Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Green River (Utah) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Yuba Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Smith Mountain Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Claytor Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Anna — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Moomaw — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Briery Creek Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sandy River Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Flannagan Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Leesville Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Philpott Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- James River (Virginia) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Shenandoah River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Clinch River (Virginia) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Staunton River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- North Fork Holston River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Sprague Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Washington (Seattle) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Sammamish — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Silver Lake (Cowlitz County) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Snake River (Washington) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Yakima River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Ohio River (West Virginia) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Kanawha River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- New River (West Virginia) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Greenbrier River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Elk River (West Virginia) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Gauley River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Monongahela River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- South Branch Potomac River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Summersville Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Cheat Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Stonewall Jackson Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Bluestone Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Beech Fork Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Mount Storm Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- R.D. Bailey Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- North Bend Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Burnsville Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Stonecoal Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Winnebago — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Wolf River (Wisconsin) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Green Bay — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lower Fox River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Mississippi River (Wisconsin-Minnesota Boundary) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- St. Croix River (Wisconsin) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Wisconsin River — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Petenwell — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Castle Rock Lake — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Mendota — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Lake Koshkonong — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Keyhole Reservoir (Wyoming) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- North Platte River (Wyoming) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Glendo Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Grayrocks Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Ocean Lake (Wyoming) — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Hawk Springs Reservoir — Channel Catfish fishing water
- Wheatland Reservoir No. 3 — Channel Catfish fishing water
Channel Catfish Regulations
Review current FishFinder regulation records before targeting Channel Catfish:
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of water is best for catching Channel Catfish?
Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is typically found in river water, lake water, and reservoir water. Focus your effort where those conditions line up to improve your chances.
How big does Channel Catfish get?
Mature Channel Catfish average around 20 inches, though individual fish can run larger. Matching your line, lure size, and tackle to that range makes for a better fight and landing rate.
Where can I catch Channel Catfish in the USA and Canada?
Channel Catfish is reported across North American waters, including spots in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Saskatchewan, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Check the locations listed on this page to find the lakes, rivers, and coastal waters closest to you.
Do I need a fishing license to catch Channel Catfish?
A valid fishing license is required in most US states and Canadian provinces. Daily bag limits, minimum size limits, and open seasons for Channel Catfish vary by region, so review the regulations on this page and with your local wildlife authority before heading out.