When one mentions a group of fish targeted by millions across the country, renowned for their fighting abilities, and a source of meat so popular they make up the largest segment of American aquaculture, you might assume that trout or salmon are the subject matter. But it’s in fact catfish that have long quietly lumbered their way into the hearts and bellies of anglers.
For me, catfish occasionally showed up when I fished for other species. The more I found them, the more interested I became in making them a primary target and learning where to find them. The answer to the latter, as it is for many anglers, was right under my nose.
The catfish’s wide distribution and tolerance of conditions across the board have given anglers nationwide access to their waters. Various species provide experiences from high number catch days to once-in-a-lifetime giants. This guide provides a broad overview of common North American catfish species, the key differences to identify them, and how you can expect them to behave if you’re keen to land your own.
Types of catfish—and how to identify them
Bullhead
Keys to identify
- Yellow, brown, or black dorsally, with more mottled flanks and a lighter colored underside.
- Broad flat head
- A squared-off tail
The bullhead is many an angler’s first memory of a catfish encounter. They are often abundant and reliable within their range, a fairly low-tech species to target, and provide lights-out fishing almost year-round. They don’t taste half bad either.
There are a number of bullhead species in the U.S., with the most widespread being the yellow, brown, and black bullhead. Since their behavior doesn’t vary much between species, we’ll lump them all together in this guide.
Habitat and Behavior
Bullhead thrive in muddy backwaters. They are tolerant of warm temperatures and lower oxygen, and use this advantage to heavily populate less-desirable habitat. They are opportunistic omnivores whose diets include crayfish, worms, small dead fish, and other aquatic invertebrates. The majority of their feeding occurs at night.
Bullhead are spring or early summer spawners depending on water temperature. During these times, they will congregate in massive numbers around sandy bottoms and river mouths.
Flathead Catfish
Keys to identify
- Mottled brown and olive on top and on flanks, with a lighter underside
- Broad head with a protruding lower jaw compared to other catfish
- Shorter anal fin (less than 30 rays)
If hooking a big, aggressive, live bait-eating catfish wasn’t fun enough, there is a sizable contingent of people who prefer to catch their flathead by hand using a technique called “noodling.” This involves shoving an appendage deep into a likely holding spot, waiting for a territorial flathead to attack it, and then wrestling them out while also attempting not to drown. I’ll stick to rod and reel for now, but if anything, this is a testament to the attitude of the second-largest catfish in America.
Habitat and Behavior
Flathead catfish occupy medium to large river and lake systems in the Mississippi River Basin, though they have been introduced to ranges that are further East and West. Within these waters, they associate closely with structure—logjams, rocky caves, and undercut banks.
The flathead prefers live prey, and will eat whatever smaller fish they can find in their habitat. They will feed tight to cover during daylight hours, but will venture out further at night to hunt for food. Like all catfish, flatheads have an incredible sense of movement detection and smell, which they use to their advantage in dark, muddy waters.
Channel Catfish
Keys to identify
- Blue/grey flanks, with some spotting in juveniles
- Forked tail
- Upper jaw extends beyond the lower jaw
Channel cats may be the species of catfish you’re most likely to get as a bycatch. Their propensity to strike more moving artificials than their distant relatives means they often make appearances for anglers targeting bass, crappie, pike, and more. This was how I was first introduced to channel catfish, and although these unintended encounters have given them a “junk fish” reputation among some anglers, there are just as many that target them for all the reasons that make a good sport fish.
Channels can weigh well into the double-digit pound range and are arguably the hardest fighting catfish species in the country. They’re well distributed and can exist in large numbers in prime habitat, but there is also a technical aspect to them that make chasing these fish a worthwhile challenge.
The channel cat also holds the title as the centerpiece of the largest American aquaculture market. Their farm-raised meat is a 400 million dollar industry, and is especially popular in the southeast.
Habitat and Behavior
Channel catfish occupy medium to large lakes and rivers, but are most abundant in moving waters. Though they’re known as more active predators than other catfish, channel cats still do most of their feeding within a few feet of the bottom. They are most active at night, when the fish will venture out of slower, deeper water to hunt.
Channel catfish spawn in late spring and early summer. Males will select and guard nest sites, usually located in protected cavities formed by structure or river contours.
Blue Catfish
Keys to identify
- Broad head, steel grey and blue-tinged flanks
- Forked tail
- Often misidentified as channel catfish—Blue catfish will have 30 or more rays on their anal fin, while channel cats max out at 29.
As the largest catfish in North America, blues occupy a special niche for trophy anglers. These long-lived, highly productive species are feeding and growing machines, and the right environments will regularly produce monsters for those who seek them out.
The world record blue catfish is 143 pounds. That’s a tough number to match, but the regular occurrence of triple-digit fish throughout their range is enough to entice plenty of anglers to specialize in chasing down these giants.
Habitat and Behavior
Blue catfish are most at home in large lakes and slow moving rivers. They are highly opportunistic, preying on injured baitfish churned out of dams (catfish that stage in these areas have a tendency to grow extra large) or left behind after feeding frenzies. This behavior is advantageous for achieving large sizes, but has proven problematic in areas where blue catfish are not native.
Blue catfish occupy slower, deeper areas during the day and will move into shallower environments with faster current at night to feed. They are omnivores like other catfish, but tend to feed on other fish earlier in their lives than other species.
A note on catfish
American catfish don’t get the same credit as bass or trout, but regularly sneak their way into being some of the most targeted fish in the country. It’s a fitting style for a bottom feeder that more often than not stays out of sight of the public, only appearing for those who seek them out. Knowing their varieties and behavior makes for more productive fishing and helps in understanding their often secretive roles in our local systems.
Feature Image: Ryan Hagerty / U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service
