A fish fry favorite, channel catfish are abundant across Oklahoma and are both fun and easy to catch. While catfish will eat a wide variety of different types of bait, they have a strong preference for chicken liver, stink baits, and dough baits.
Channel catfish can be found in nearly every body of water in the state including ponds, creeks, rivers and reservoirs. Look for them in deep holes or near structures in the water. They’re most active in the lowlight and overnight hours. Fishing for channel catfish in Oklahoma is a great experience for everyone, whether you’re new to fishing or not. Get out there and channel that inner angler.
A fish fry favorite, catfish are abundant across Oklahoma and easy to catch come summertime! Aptly named catfish for the long whisker- looking barbels protruding from their face, there are three major species sought after in the state’s waters: channel catfish, blue catfish and flathead catfish.
Catfish are much more active in the lowlight and overnight hours, but can be caught at any time of day.
Tips for fishing for Catfish Channel catfish are found in nearly every body of water in the state, including ponds, creeks, rivers and reservoirs. The easiest of the three species to catch, channel catfish are stocked regularly across the state by ODWC’s Fisheries Division.
Native to the Red River watershed, blue catfish can now be found in most of the state’s major river and reservoir systems. Prized for their sumptuous fillets and fighting ability, blue catfish are targeted year-round with some of the biggest specimens caught during the dead of winter.
Flathead catfish are the top of the fish food chain in Oklahoma. An apex predator and skilled hunter, these fish are perfectly adapted to the warm, stained waters of the state’s prairie rivers and creeks. Known locally as mudcats, Oklahoma’s flathead catfish and the sport of noodling gained national notoriety during the short-lived reality TV series “Mudcats” that aired on the History Channel. Now noodlers from around the world gather each summer in Pauls Valley for the annual Okie Noodling Festival.
