← Kentucky fishing maps

Best channel catfish lakes in Kentucky

51 Kentucky waters hold channel catfish, 25 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 Barkley — 54 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, Bluegill
2. Kentucky Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
3. Lake Cumberland — 200 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
4. Cave Run Lake — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
5. Nolin River Lake — 85 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
6. Dale Hollow Lake — 130 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
7. Green River Lake — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
8. Rough River Lake — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
9. Barren River Lake — 75 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
10. Buckhorn Lake — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
11. Ohio River — McAlpine Pool — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
12. Ohio River — Cannelton Pool — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
13. Licking River (Lower) — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Channel Catfish
14. Kentucky River (Palisades) — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Channel Catfish
15. Ohio River — Markland Pool — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
16. Ohio River — Meldahl Pool — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
17. Laurel River Lake — 280 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
18. Grayson Lake — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
19. Taylorsville Lake — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, Bluegill
20. Paintsville Lake — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
21. Ohio River — Greenup Pool — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
22. Carr Creek Lake — 57 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
23. Yatesville Lake — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
24. Ohio River — Newburgh Pool — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, Channel Catfish
25. Lake Beshear — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish

…plus 26 more Kentucky waters holding channel catfish.

When to fish channel catfish in Kentucky

• 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 Kentucky: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best sauger lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best white bass & hybrids 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: Minnesota · Michigan · Montana · Wyoming · Washington · North Dakota · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Utah · Colorado · South Dakota · New York · Wisconsin · Arizona · Mississippi · Texas · Nevada · Florida · Illinois · Kansas · Oklahoma · Tennessee · Missouri · Delaware · Alabama · Georgia · West Virginia · New Jersey · California · Virginia · Hawaii · Pennsylvania · South Carolina