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Best channel catfish lakes in Arkansas

13 Arkansas waters hold channel catfish, 3 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Scent-driven bottom feeder. Holes, channels and inflows — best after dark.

1. Mississippi River — Memphis — 135 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Sauger, Crappie
2. Lake Dardanelle — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
3. Lake Ouachita — 200 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
4. DeGray Lake — 200 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
5. Lake Hamilton — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
6. Lake Greeson — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel Catfish
7. Blue Mountain Lake — 36 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
8. Millwood Lake — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
9. Nimrod Lake — 42 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
10. Lake Chicot — 20 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
11. Lake Maumelle — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
12. Lake Conway — 15 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
13. Buffalo National River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Rock Bass

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When to fish channel catfish in Arkansas

• Spring 3–12 ft — Warm inflows and shallow mud flats after rain.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Deep holes by day; cats roam shallow flats to feed at night.
• Fall 10–30 ft — Fish concentrate in river/creek channels and deeper holes.
• Winter 20–40 ft — Stacked in the deepest holes; slow natural baits.

Also in Arkansas: best largemouth bass lakes · best white bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best striped bass lakes · best spotted bass lakes

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