Best channel catfish lakes in Maryland
7 Maryland 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.
- Liberty Reservoir — 142 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Monocacy River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Potomac River (Tidal) — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Northern Snakehead, Crappie, Bluegill
- Potomac River (Upper) — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge
- Piney Run Lake — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Clopper Lake — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Greenbrier Lake — 28 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
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When to fish channel catfish in Maryland
- 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 Maryland: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best striped bass lakes
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