- Best water temperature
- 82°F28°C
- Active range
- 72 to 93°F22 to 34°C
- Feeds most
- Night
- Typical size
- 18 in45 cm
- Big ones reach
- 51 in57 lb
- Water
- FreshwaterBottom scent feeder
Channel catfish feed hardest in water around 82°F (28°C) and stay active from about 72 to 93°F. They feed mostly after dark, with a secondary push at dusk and dawn. Start with punch bait on a treble, chicken liver on a treble, a fresh chunk of cut fish.
The channel catfish is America's most widespread catfish: in rivers, reservoirs, farm ponds and city lakes across most of the country. It hunts by smell and taste as much as sight, which is why stinky baits work and why it bites in muddy water that shuts other fish down.
Channel catfish water temperature
Channel catfish feed best at 82°F (28°C), active from about 72 to 93°F (22 to 34°C). That band comes from the same species model BiteCast scores with, and it is why the Fish Score for channel catfish rises and falls with the water rather than the air.
Channel cats are warmwater fish. They spawn in early summer, when the water reaches the mid 70s, in holes and hollow logs. In cold water they slow down and feed near the bottom of deep holes.
For a side-by-side view of every species, see the full water temperature table or the guide to reading water temperature.
When channel catfish bite
Channel catfish feed mostly at night, with a strong push at dusk. The hours after a summer rain, when inflows wash food into a lake or river, are some of the best of the year.
Where to find channel catfish
Rivers, lakes and reservoirs; feeds along the bottom, most active after dark.
Holes and outside bends in rivers, the edges of channels in reservoirs, below dams, and around inflows. In ponds and small lakes, try the deepest water by day and the shallow flats at night.
Best baits and lures for channel 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 | Punch BaitNatural bait | Rig: Loaded treble | ||
| 2 | Chicken LiverNatural bait | Rig: Liver on a treble | ||
| 3 | Cut Fish ChunkNatural bait | Rig: Fresh chunk | ||
| 4 | EarthwormNatural bait | Rig: Whole nightcrawler | ||
| 5 | Live MinnowNatural bait | Rig: Medium minnow (3 to 4 in) | ||
| 6 | SweetcornNatural bait | Rig: Single kernel | ||
Fish on the bottom with a sliding sinker rig. Punch bait, chicken liver, cut bait and nightcrawlers all catch channel cats; fresh cut bait draws the bigger fish. Use a circle hook and let the fish load the rod rather than jerking at the first tap.
What channel catfish eat
In the wild channel catfish eat aquatic insects, crayfish, small fish, snails, clams, freshwater mussels. Matching the size and color of that forage is the single most reliable way to pick a bait.
About the channel catfish
A freshwater catfish with a deeply forked tail, smooth scaleless skin, four pairs of barbels, and dark spots scattered on the body of younger fish.
Native to central North America, it inhabits rivers, lakes, and reservoirs with sand, gravel, or rubble bottoms and is widely stocked across the continent.
It is an omnivorous bottom feeder that locates food using taste buds covering its body and barbels, feeding most actively at dusk and after dark.
A strong, dogged fighter, it commonly weighs 2 to 10 pounds, with the rod-and-reel record near 58 pounds, and is most active in warm summer water.
Found in: United States, Brazil, Canada, China, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia.
Common questions
What water temperature do channel catfish bite best in?
Channel catfish feed hardest around 82°F (28°C) and stay active from about 72 to 93°F (22 to 34°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 channel catfish bite?
Channel 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 channel catfish?
In BiteCast's bait rankings the top picks for channel catfish are punch bait, chicken liver, cut fish chunk.
