Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
For blue and channel catfish, no minimum length limit; daily bag and possession limit = 25 blue and channel catfish in any combination. In the 25-fish bag, no more than 5 fish 20 inches or greater in length may be retained, and no more than 1 of those can be 30 inches or longer. For flathead catfish, minimum length = 18 inches and daily bag = 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 Waco
Rock, clay and gravel shorelines, flooded timber, roadbeds, docks and bridge pilings provide structure. Installed freshwater reefs supplement cover.
Fishing approach
Lake guide guidance: TPWD describes spring bass in sheltered coves, crappie near brush and timber, catfish across flats and river arms, and spring white bass moving into rivers. Hybrids use offshore roads and points.
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 ↗