← Louisiana fishing maps

Best channel catfish lakes in Louisiana

15 Louisiana waters hold channel catfish, 1 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. Mississippi River — Vicksburg — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
2. Black Lake — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
3. Lake Bistineau — 15 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
4. Lake D'Arbonne — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
5. Saline Lake — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
6. Lac Des Allemands — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish
7. Lake Claiborne — 70 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
8. Cross Lake — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
9. False River — 45 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
10. Vernon Lake — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
11. Lake Concordia — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
12. Lake Chicot — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
13. Atchafalaya River — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
14. Poverty Point Reservoir — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
15. Anacoco Lake — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish

Find the closest channel catfish waters to you →

When to fish channel catfish in Louisiana

• 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 Louisiana: best largemouth bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes

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