Blue Catfish
Ictalurus furcatus
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 and a relatively straight-edged anal fin. Count anal-fin rays using an identification reference.
Habitat on O.C. Fisher
Riprap, creek channels, humps, drop-offs, rocks and flooded land vegetation form the principal habitat.
Fishing approach
Lake guide guidance: Bass use vegetation and structure; trolling near humps or drop-offs is suggested for white bass. Crappie take jigs or minnows near those features.
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 ↗Species identification ↗