Blue Catfish
Ictalurus furcatus
Blue and channel catfish: 25 combined daily, no minimum; no more than 10 may be 20 inches or longer.
Identify your catch
Forked tail and a relatively straight-edged anal fin. Count anal-fin rays using an identification reference.
Habitat on B. A. Steinhagen
Flooded timber, cypress and vegetation in turbid water.
Fishing approach
Bass: work vegetation with crankbaits, spinnerbaits or low-light topwater. Crappie: spring jigs and minnows. Catfish: cut bait for blue/channel; live bait for flathead. Sunfish: small jigs or crickets.
Fishing guidance describes documented approaches, not a promise of fish activity today.
Over 30 inches: women of childbearing age and children under 12 — DO NOT EAT; adult men and women past childbearing age — at most 2 eight-ounce meals/month.
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
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 ↗