← Indiana fishing maps

Best channel catfish lakes in Indiana

160 Indiana waters hold channel catfish, 105 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. Wabash River — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Channel CatfishWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 16 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Ohio River — McAlpine Pool — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 11 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. White River (West Fork) — 20 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead CatfishWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 10 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. Ohio River — Newburgh Pool — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
5. Ohio River — J.T. Myers Pool — 49 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
6. Monroe Lake — 54 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 10 public access sites
7. East Fork White River — 20 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead CatfishWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 12 public access sites
8. Ohio River — Cannelton Pool — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
9. Raccoon Lake (Cecil Harden) — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
10. Patoka Lake — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 13 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
11. Morse Reservoir — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
12. Geist Reservoir — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
13. Mississinewa Lake — 137 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
14. Brookville Lake — 140 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 13 public access sites
15. Salamonie Lake — 45 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites
16. Lake Wawasee — 75 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Eel River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Rock BassWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
18. Lake Lemon — 27 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Hardy Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
20. Crooked Lake (Steuben) — 81 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Bass Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Lake Tippecanoe — 123 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. J.C. Murphey Lake — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
24. Cagles Mill Lake (Cataract) — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
25. Sylvan Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 135 more Indiana waters holding channel catfish.

Find the closest channel catfish waters to you →

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

Channel Catfish elsewhere: Ontario · Wisconsin · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · Montana · New York · Wyoming · Washington · Florida · North Dakota · Iowa · Texas · Ohio · Connecticut · Nebraska · Missouri · California · Oklahoma · South Dakota · Utah · Arizona · Colorado · Illinois · New Mexico · Kansas · West Virginia · Mississippi · Idaho · New Jersey · Kentucky · Alabama · Tennessee · Puerto Rico · Georgia · North Carolina · Delaware · Nevada · Virginia · Rhode Island · Louisiana · South Carolina · Pennsylvania · Arkansas · Maryland · Hawaii