1. United States/
  2. Catfish fishing in the United States/
  3. Alabama/
  4. Catfish fishing in Alabama

Catfish fishing in Alabama

Alabama provides excellent catfish fishing in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs statewide. Channel, blue, and flathead catfish grow large in Alabama, making it a favorite spot for bottom-fishing enthusiasts.

Best baits and lures for Catfish in Alabama

According to catch data from over 20 million anglers on Fishbrain, these are the best baits used to catch Catfish.

Fishbrain
Stop guessing and start catching

Find out what lures to use, download the Fishbrain app!

Download the Bitetime appDownload the Bitetime app
Download the Bitetime app
Download the Bitetime app
Download the Bitetime appDownload the Bitetime app
Download the Bitetime app
Download the Bitetime appDownload the Bitetime app
Download the Bitetime app

Biggest Catfish catches

Explore your local leaderboard—see the top catches in the app.

Latest Catfish fishing reports in Alabama

fish catches icon
recently logged catches
Loading...

Blue catfish

Weiss Lake

length · weight

fish catches icon
recently logged catches
Loading...

Channel catfish

Chattahoochee River

length · weight

fish catches icon
recently logged catches
Loading...

Channel catfish

Spring Creek

length · weight

fish catches icon
recently logged catches
Loading...

Channel catfish

Chattahoochee River

length · weight

fish catches icon
recently logged catches
Loading...

Flathead catfish

Guntersville Dam (Tennessee River)

length · weight

fish catches icon
recently logged catches
Loading...

Blue catfish

Logan Martin Lake

length · weight

fish catches icon
recently logged catches
Loading...

Channel catfish

H Neely Henry Lake

length · weight

fish catches icon
recently logged catches
Loading...

Channel catfish

H Neely Henry Lake

length · weight

fish catches icon
recently logged catches
Loading...

Channel catfish

H Neely Henry Lake

length · weight

fish catches icon
recently logged catches
Loading...

Channel catfish

H Neely Henry Lake

length · weight

Fishbrain
More catches in the app...

Continue browsing catches and catch locations in the Fishbrain app

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

Regulations for Catfish in Alabama

Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.

Fishing regulations in Alabama can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.

Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Channel catfish as of May 17th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.

Channel catfish

Seasons

Open

Memorable

1 > 34
No minimum size limit.
No bag limit for catfish under 34-inches total length.
Recreational anglers may only harvest 1 catfish over 34-inches total length per person per day. This size limit shall not apply to catfish harvested from the Perdido, Conecuh, Blackwater, Yellow, Choctawhatchee, Chipola, and Chattahoochee rivers basins.
It is unlawful to transport live catfish 34 inches in length or greater beyond the boundaries of this state.

Ictalurus punctatus

Regulations for

32°34′39.3″N 86°41′14″W
Regulations in the map
App Section
Download Fishbrain and fish smarter
Unlimited access to the best fishing spot finder in the game. Get all the fishing intel you need to start catching more, and bigger, fish.

Free trial available

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

FAQ

Anglers in Alabama commonly catch several Catfish species, including Channel catfish, Blue catfish, Flathead catfish, Gafftopsail sea catfish, and Hardhead sea catfish, according to reports from Fishbrain members.

These species can be found in many rivers and streams, lakes, coastal waters throughout the area. If you are targeting a specific species, you can use the to filter catches by species and see where anglers are catching them and which baits they are using.
Catfish are caught in rivers and streams, lakes, coastal waters throughout Alabama. Popular fishing waters reported by Fishbrain members include Chattahoochee River, Wheeler Lake, and Pickwick Lake (Tennessee River).

The allows anglers to see exact catch locations shared by other members, helping you discover productive fishing spots where Catfish have recently been caught.