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Catfish · Species guide

Channel catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

Channel catfish: Rounded anal-fin edge. Often spotted.
Rounded anal-fin edge. Often spotted.
Illustration: Duane Raver / USFWS. Public domain. Fish are not shown at the same scale.

Look for these features

  1. 01Young fish often have dark spots. Large adults can lose those spots, so compare the fins too.
  2. 02Deeply forked.
  3. 03Rounded outer edge on the anal fin, with 24–29 rays.

Streams, rivers and reservoirs. Diet and habitat use vary with fish size and local conditions.

TPWD species reference ↗ · Checked September 6, 2026.

Put it to work

Your next step

Compare the head, tail and anal fin together, then record the species and bait in your catch notebook.

Open the lesson →
Record a catch →Lake O’ the Pines rules →

Identification is one part of the trip. Use current rules for the state and exact waterbody you fish.