Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
For blue and channel catfish, no minimum length limit; daily bag limit = 25 in any combination, of which only 10 can be 20 inches or greater in length. For flathead catfish, minimum length = 18 inches and daily bag limit = 5.
Identify your catch
Forked tail; younger fish commonly show dark body spots. The anal-fin edge is more rounded than in blue catfish.
Habitat on Eagle Mountain
Upper-lake reeds, mid- and lower-lake docks and piers, rocky points and bluffs provide cover.
Fishing approach
Lake guide guidance: TPWD describes bass fishing near docks and reeds, white crappie using boathouses, and summer schooling white bass.
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
Occurs in rivers, lakes and reservoirs; feeds on a wide range of aquatic food.
General Channel 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 ↗