Blue Catfish
Ictalurus furcatus
For blue and channel catfish, minimum length = 14 inches and combined daily bag limit = 15 fish. For flathead catfish, minimum length = 18 inches and daily bag = 5.
Identify your catch
Forked tail and a relatively straight-edged anal fin. Count anal-fin rays using an identification reference.
Habitat on Calaveras
Shoreline cattails and bulrushes, dam riprap and an intake canal provide cover and structure.
Fishing approach
Lake guide guidance: TPWD lists natural baits for catfish and red drum, spoons for drum and hybrids, and artificial lures around shoreline bass cover.
Fishing guidance describes documented approaches, not a promise of fish activity today.
No active lake-specific advisory or possession ban was named in the reviewed DSHS directory. This does not guarantee that fish are safe to eat.
Harvest permission and eating restrictions are separate.
General species guide
A large catfish found in rivers and reservoirs. Fish and other aquatic animals form its diet.
General Blue Catfish profile →Sources & lake evidence
TPWD lake guide and reviewed fisheries evidence establish the listed species or group. Historical survey records do not establish current abundance.
Lake harvest rules ↗Eating guidance ↗Lake habitat & fishing guide ↗Fisheries survey · species evidence ↗Species identification ↗