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