- Best water temperature
- 81°F27°C
- Active range
- 68 to 91°F20 to 33°C
- Feeds most
- Night
- Typical size
- 26 in65 cm
- Big ones reach
- 65 in132 lb
- Water
- FreshwaterBottom dweller
Blue catfish feed hardest in water around 81°F (27°C) and stay active from about 68 to 91°F. They feed mostly after dark, with a secondary push at dusk and dawn. Start with a fresh chunk of cut fish, punch bait on a treble, chicken liver on a treble.
Blue catfish are the giants of American fresh water: fish over 100 pounds are caught every year in big rivers and reservoirs of the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio basins and the Southeast. They are open-water hunters that follow schools of shad and herring.
Blue catfish water temperature
Blue catfish feed best at 81°F (27°C), active from about 68 to 91°F (20 to 33°C). That band comes from the same species model BiteCast scores with, and it is why the Fish Score for blue catfish rises and falls with the water rather than the air.
Many anglers target trophy blues in the cooler months too, when fish gather in deep holes; the bite is slower but the average fish is bigger.
For a side-by-side view of every species, see the full water temperature table or the guide to reading water temperature.
When blue catfish bite
Blue catfish feed mostly at night, but they are also caught by day in deep water and in current, especially where they are following baitfish. Rising water and current generated by dams turn them on.
Where to find blue catfish
Large rivers, reservoirs and tidal stretches of the central and southern United States.
Deep channel edges, river bends, scour holes below dams, and flats next to the main channel. Look for bait on the sonar: where the shad are, the blues are close.
Best baits and lures for blue catfish
Ranked from BiteCast's bait data, with the colors to throw as the water gets dirtier. Natural baits show how to rig them instead of a color.
| # | Bait | Clear water | Stained | Muddy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cut Fish ChunkNatural bait | Rig: Fresh chunk | ||
| 2 | Punch BaitNatural bait | Rig: Loaded treble | ||
| 3 | Chicken LiverNatural bait | Rig: Liver on a treble | ||
| 4 | Live MinnowNatural bait | Rig: Large baitfish (5+ in) | ||
| 5 | Cut SquidNatural bait | Rig: Squid strip | ||
Fresh cut shad or skipjack herring is the bait. Anchor on a channel edge and fan out several rods, or drift slowly across flats with the bait just off the bottom. Use heavy tackle and circle hooks, and let the rod load before reeling.
What blue catfish eat
In the wild blue catfish eat fish, especially shad, crayfish, molluscs, crustaceans, frogs, aquatic invertebrates. Matching the size and color of that forage is the single most reliable way to pick a bait.
About the blue catfish
The blue catfish is the largest North American catfish, a slate-blue, smooth-skinned giant with a deeply forked tail and a long straight-edged anal fin.
It dominates big rivers, reservoirs and tidal systems of the central and southern United States and grows to enormous size.
A powerful current-loving predator and scavenger, it feeds heavily on fish and is most often taken on fresh cut or live bait fished hard on the bottom.
Its size, strength and reach make it the premier trophy catfish across much of North America.
Found in: United States, Guatemala, Mexico.
Common questions
What water temperature do blue catfish bite best in?
Blue catfish feed hardest around 81°F (27°C) and stay active from about 68 to 91°F (20 to 33°C). Below the band they slow down and feed less often; above it, warm water holds less oxygen and they go deeper or feed at night.
What time of day do blue catfish bite?
Blue catfish feed mostly after dark, with a secondary push at dusk and dawn. Cloud cover, stained water and wind chop stretch the low-light window through more of the day.
What is the best bait for blue catfish?
In BiteCast's bait rankings the top picks for blue catfish are cut fish chunk, punch bait, chicken liver.
