Freshwater Fish of Connecticut
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
🏆 Connecticut State Record
Catch & Release36"Colby Kerttula · 2020 · Game Club Pond, Chaplin
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Also called: Spotted Cat, Forktail Cat
Identification
Forked tail with a slate body; juveniles spotted; the largest catfish in CT.
Habitat
Large rivers and deep lakes.
Behavior
Nocturnal forager; often migratory within river systems.
How to Catch
Cut baits, liver, and prepared stinkbaits fished on the bottom.
Notes
Stocked in major rivers and lakes.
Where to find Channel Catfish in CT
- Connecticut River — Hartford/Middle Haddam Hartford / Haddam
- Gardner Lake Salem
- Keney Park Pond Hartford
- Lake Zoar Monroe / Newtown / Oxford
- Mansfield Hollow Reservoir Mansfield