Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
Blue and channel catfish: 50 combined daily and in possession; no minimum. No more than 5 may be 30 inches or longer.
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 Lake Livingston
Turbid water, a major river channel and tributary creeks.
Fishing approach
White bass: spring tributaries. Striped bass: spoons or live shad near the US 190 bridge. Bass: northern bays and creeks in spring/fall. Blue/channel catfish: organic or live baits along channels.
Fishing guidance describes documented approaches, not a promise of fish activity today.
This species is not named in the active lake advisory. That does not establish that the fish is 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
Occurrence documented in the TPWD lake guide, fisheries survey or historical records. Historical evidence does not establish present abundance. Current harvest rules were checked separately from older survey regulations.
Lake harvest rules ↗Eating guidance ↗Lake habitat & fishing guide ↗Fisheries survey · species evidence ↗Species identification ↗