Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
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; younger fish commonly show dark body spots. The anal-fin edge is more rounded than in blue catfish.
Habitat on Travis
Rocky banks, steep dropoffs, docks, ledges and creek arms provide cover. Flooded shoreline vegetation changes with water level.
Fishing approach
Lake guide guidance: TPWD describes low-light topwaters, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits near bass points, spring white bass in tributaries, and cut or prepared baits for blue and channel catfish. Live bait is described for flatheads.
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
Occurs in rivers, lakes and reservoirs; feeds on a wide range of aquatic food.
General Channel 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 ↗Fisheries survey · species evidence ↗Species identification ↗