Flathead Catfish
Pylodictis olivaris
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
Broad flattened head, projecting lower jaw and a tail that is not deeply forked.
Habitat on Kemp
Rocky points and flooded terrestrial vegetation provide cover.
Fishing approach
Lake guide guidance: TPWD suggests Texas-rigged plastics in brush for bass, crankbaits or topwaters near rocky points, live bait or hair jigs in deeper water for stripers, and docks or rocks for crappie.
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
Prefers cover such as submerged wood and feeds mainly on live fish as an adult.
General Flathead 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 ↗Species identification ↗