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Best channel catfish lakes in North Carolina

15 North Carolina waters hold channel catfish. 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. Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Striped Bass
2. Lake Norman — 130 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
3. Lake Gaston — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
4. Falls Lake — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
5. High Rock Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish
6. Jordan Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
7. Lake Wylie — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
8. Lake Tillery — 80 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
9. Lake James — 120 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
10. Badin Lake — 190 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
11. Harris Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
12. Lake Waccamaw — 11 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
13. Mountain Island Lake — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
14. Roanoke River — 20 ft max · Channel Catfish, Striped Bass, Flathead Catfish, Blue Catfish
15. French Broad River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge, Common Carp

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When to fish channel catfish in North Carolina

• 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 North Carolina: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best striped bass lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best spotted bass lakes · best white perch lakes

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