Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
For channel and blue catfish, their hybrids and subspecies, 25 (in any combination - only 10 can be 20 inches or greater in length). For flathead catfish, minimum length = 18 inches and daily bag limit = 5.
Gear restriction: Fishing by pole and line only. No gas-powered motors; electric trolling motors allowed.
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 Wheeler Branch
Clear water, flooded trees, rock outcrops, rocky shorelines and brush piles provide habitat.
Fishing approach
Lake guide guidance: TPWD describes seasonal bass around shoreline cover and deeper structure, channel catfish drift fishing with shad, and walleye close to bottom around rocky or sandy areas.
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 ↗