Best channel catfish lakes in Iowa
181 Iowa waters hold channel catfish, 171 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.
- Iowa River — 8 ft max · Walleye, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum
- Des Moines River — 11 ft max · Walleye, White Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
- Cedar River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
- Wapsipinicon River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Common Carp
- Clear Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake) — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Five Island Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Three Mile Lake — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk) — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
- Lake Sugema — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Rice Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Lake Icaria — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Brushy Creek Lake — 72 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Mississippi River Pool 13 (Clinton) — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
- Twelve Mile Creek Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Little River Watershed Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Lake Macbride — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- West Swan Lake S.W.M.A. — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Black Hawk Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
- Silver Lake (Dickinson) — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Upper Iowa River — 6 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout
- North Twin Lake — 11 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Trumbull Lake — 4 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Snyder Bend Lake — 11 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
…plus 156 more Iowa waters holding channel catfish.
When to fish channel catfish in Iowa
- 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 Iowa: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes
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