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Best channel catfish lakes in Texas

38 Texas waters hold channel catfish, 23 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. Lake Texoma — 96 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
2. Sam Rayburn Reservoir — 74 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
3. Lake Livingston — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
4. Toledo Bend Reservoir — 110 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
5. Amistad Reservoir — 217 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
6. Lake Travis — 177 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
7. Richland-Chambers Reservoir — 77 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
8. Cedar Creek Reservoir — 64 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
9. Lake Fork — 73 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
10. Lake Whitney — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
11. Lake Tawakoni — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
12. Lake Palestine — 53 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
13. Possum Kingdom Lake — 108 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
14. Ray Roberts Lake — 91 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
15. Lewisville Lake — 69 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
16. Lake Conroe — 61 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
17. Belton Lake — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
18. Lake Buchanan — 107 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
19. Choke Canyon Reservoir — 85 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
20. Lake Ray Hubbard — 47 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
21. Lake LBJ — 72 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
22. Falcon International Reservoir — 110 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
23. Canyon Lake — 147 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
24. O.H. Ivie Reservoir — 119 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
25. Stillhouse Hollow Lake — 117 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie

…plus 13 more Texas waters holding channel catfish.

When to fish channel catfish in Texas

• 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 Texas: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best white bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best striped bass lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best red drum (redfish) lakes · best spotted seatrout lakes · best southern flounder lakes

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