Flathead Catfish
Pylodictis olivaris
5 flathead catfish daily; minimum length 18 inches.
Identify your catch
Broad flattened head, projecting lower jaw and a tail that is not deeply forked.
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.
All sizes: women of childbearing age and children under 12 — DO NOT EAT; adult men and women past childbearing age — at most 1 eight-ounce 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
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 ↗