Best channel catfish lakes in Indiana
180 Indiana waters hold channel catfish, 151 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.
- Wabash River — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Channel Catfish
- Monroe Lake — 54 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- White River (West Fork) — 20 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
- Brookville Lake — 140 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Ohio River — McAlpine Pool — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
- East Fork White River — 20 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
- Ohio River — Cannelton Pool — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
- Raccoon Lake (Cecil Harden) — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Patoka Lake — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Morse Reservoir — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Cagles Mill Lake (Cataract) — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Geist Reservoir — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Lake Wawasee — 75 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Mississinewa Lake — 137 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
- Salamonie Lake — 45 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Ohio River — Newburgh Pool — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Eel River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Rock Bass
- Lake Lemon — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Ohio River — J.T. Myers Pool — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Hardy Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Crooked Lake (Steuben) — 81 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Bass Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Lake Tippecanoe — 123 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Lake Maxinkuckee — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Sylvan Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
…plus 155 more Indiana waters holding channel catfish.
When to fish channel catfish in Indiana
- 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 Indiana: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best rock bass lakes
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