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Best channel catfish lakes in Florida

25 Florida waters hold channel catfish, 22 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. Lake Okeechobee — 23 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
2. Lake Kissimmee — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
3. Lake Harris — 27 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
4. Lake Apopka — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
5. Lake Istokpoga — 9 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
6. Lake Tohopekaliga — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
7. Lake Talquin — 34 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
8. Lake Griffin — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
9. Lake Monroe — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
10. Lake Hatchineha — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
11. Lake Rousseau — 27 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
12. East Lake Tohopekaliga — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
13. Lochloosa Lake — 7 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
14. Lake Eustis — 19 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
15. Lake Jackson (Leon) — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
16. Lake Marian — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
17. Lake Panasoffkee — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
18. Lake Weohyakapka (Walk-in-Water) — 9 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
19. Lake Dora — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
20. Lake Yale — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
21. Lake Tarpon — 19 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
22. Newnans Lake — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
23. Lake June-in-Winter — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
24. Lake Trafford — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
25. St. Johns River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish

When to fish channel catfish in Florida

• 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 Florida: best largemouth bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best red drum (redfish) lakes · best spotted seatrout lakes · best southern flounder lakes · best sheepshead lakes

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