Channel catfish are abundant and are distributed over a wide size range. The quality of the channel cat fishery should continue to improve over the next few years as young fish that are currently present recruit to larger sizes. Flathead catfish numbers, which declined during the low water years of the early 1990's, have rebounded dramatically in recent years. Large numbers of 8 to 25 pound flatheads were observed in the 1999 fall test netting sample. Good to very good.
Channel catfish are abundant and are distributed over a wide size range.
The quality of the channel cat fishery should continue to improve over the next few years as young fish that are currently present recruit to larger sizes. Flathead catfish numbers, which declined during the low water years of the early 1990's, have rebounded dramatically in recent years. Large numbers of 8 to 25 pound flatheads were observed in the 1999 fall test netting sample. Quantity is down from recent years due to tremendous harvest of 1993 year class fish and the effects of natural mortality over several seasons. Quality, however, is very good with crappie scattered over a wide size range and fish over 1 lb.