Best channel catfish lakes in North Dakota
43 North Dakota waters hold channel catfish, 39 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.
- Dry Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Missouri River — 31 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
- Red River of the North — 8 ft max · Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish, Freshwater Drum
- Heart Butte Reservoir (Lake Tschida) — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Twin Lakes — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- James River — 6 ft max · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Sheyenne River — 6 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish
- Goose Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- West Lake Napoleon — 11 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Dickinson Reservoir (Patterson Lake) — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Alkali Lake — 23 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Sibley Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Clear Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Nelson Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Trenton Lake — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Grass Lake — 13 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Beaver Lake — 7 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Cottonwood Lake — 13 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Fox Lake — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Riverdale Spillway Lake — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Lake Tewaukon — 9 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Miller Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Sweet Briar Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
- Long Lake — 7 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
- Cherry Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
…plus 18 more North Dakota waters holding channel catfish.
When to fish channel catfish in North Dakota
- 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 Dakota: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass 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 goldeye lakes
Channel Catfish elsewhere: Minnesota · Michigan · Montana · Wyoming · Washington · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Utah · Colorado · South Dakota · New York · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Mississippi · Texas · Nevada · Florida · Illinois · Kansas · Oklahoma · Tennessee · Missouri · Delaware · Alabama · Georgia · West Virginia · New Jersey · California · Virginia · Hawaii · Pennsylvania · South Carolina