Best channel catfish lakes in Montana
102 Montana waters hold channel catfish, 101 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.
- Bighorn Lake — 447 ft max · Walleye, Sauger, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Red Rock Lake, Upper — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Bull Lake (Lincoln) — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Thompson Lake, Middle — 160 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Echo Lake (Flathead) — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Elk Lake (Beaverhead) — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Thompson Lake, Upper — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Dickey Lake (Lincoln) — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Yellowtail Afterbay Reservoir — 46 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Sauger, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout
- Mission Reservoir, In Part — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Frank Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Thompson Lake, Lower — 140 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Lake Five (Flathead) — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Fossil Lake (Carbon) — 140 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Aero Lake, Upper — 175 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) — 130 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Aero Lake, Lower — 180 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Hidden Lake (Madison) — 72 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Crystal Lake (Lincoln) — 140 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Rainbow Lake (Sanders) — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Lake Agnes — 59 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Black Canyon Lake — 180 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Widewater Lake (Carbon) — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Cairn Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Castle Rock Reservoir — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
…plus 77 more Montana waters holding channel catfish.
When to fish channel catfish in Montana
- 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 Montana: 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 yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best arctic grayling lakes · best cutthroat trout lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes
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