- Best water temperature
- 81°F27°C
- Active range
- 70 to 91°F21 to 33°C
- Feeds most
- Night
- Typical size
- 26 in65 cm
- Big ones reach
- 61 in121 lb
- Water
- FreshwaterCover ambusher
Flathead catfish feed hardest in water around 81°F (27°C) and stay active from about 70 to 91°F. They feed mostly after dark, with a secondary push at dusk and dawn. Start with a fresh chunk of cut fish, a large live baitfish (5+ in), punch bait.
The flathead catfish is the predator of the catfish world: a broad-headed ambush hunter that lives in log jams and rock piles in big rivers and reservoirs and eats live fish. It grows past 100 pounds.
Flathead catfish water temperature
Flathead catfish feed best at 81°F (27°C), active from about 70 to 91°F (21 to 33°C). That band comes from the same species model BiteCast scores with, and it is why the Fish Score for flathead catfish rises and falls with the water rather than the air.
Flatheads are most active in summer and slow down sharply as the water cools in fall.
For a side-by-side view of every species, see the full water temperature table or the guide to reading water temperature.
When flathead catfish bite
Flatheads are night hunters. They leave their cover at dusk to cruise nearby flats and edges for live prey, and the first hours of darkness are prime.
Where to find flathead catfish
Large rivers and reservoirs; ambushes live prey from cover and deep holes.
Log jams, submerged timber, undercut banks, rock piles and bridge pilings in rivers and reservoirs, usually next to deeper water. A big flathead often claims the same cover for years.
Best baits and lures for flathead 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 | Live MinnowNatural bait | Rig: Large baitfish (5+ in) | ||
| 3 | Paste BaitNatural bait | Rig: Punch bait | ||
Live bait outfishes everything else for flatheads: a lively bluegill, green sunfish, shiner or small bullhead where legal. Fish it on the bottom or just off it near cover at dusk, with heavy line to pull the fish out of the wood.
What flathead catfish eat
In the wild flathead catfish eat live baitfish, sunfish and bluegill, crayfish, shad, smaller catfish, freshwater clams. Matching the size and color of that forage is the single most reliable way to pick a bait.
About the flathead catfish
A large freshwater catfish with a flattened head, projecting lower jaw, and mottled yellow-brown body, distinguished by a squared rather than forked tail.
Native to the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio river basins and Gulf drainages, it favours deep pools, log-strewn holes, and undercut banks in large rivers and reservoirs.
It is a solitary ambush predator that is largely piscivorous as an adult, feeding mostly at night and rarely scavenging dead bait unlike other catfish.
It commonly reaches 20 to 50 pounds, with the rod-and-reel world record at 123 pounds from Kansas, and is known for a strong, dogged fight.
Found in: United States, Canada, China, Mexico.
Common questions
What water temperature do flathead catfish bite best in?
Flathead catfish feed hardest around 81°F (27°C) and stay active from about 70 to 91°F (21 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 flathead catfish bite?
Flathead 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 flathead catfish?
In BiteCast's bait rankings the top picks for flathead catfish are cut fish chunk, live minnow, paste bait.
