Flathead Catfish
Pylodictis olivaris
5 daily; 18-inch minimum.
Identify your catch
Broad flattened head, projecting lower jaw and a tail that is not deeply forked.
Habitat on Sam Rayburn
TPWD documents excellent year-round catfish fishing and extensive standing timber, channels and flooded cover.
Fishing approach
Look for structure and channels; fishing techniques vary by catfish species and conditions. TPWD does not publish a validated lake-wide bait ranking.
Fishing guidance describes documented approaches, not a promise of fish activity today.
All sizes: women of childbearing age and children under 12 DO NOT EAT; adult men and women past childbearing age 1 meal/month.
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 Sam Rayburn lake guide and historical water-body records. Records establish occurrence, not current abundance.
Lake harvest rules ↗Eating guidance ↗Lake habitat & fishing guide ↗Species identification ↗