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  4. Catfish fishing in Louisiana

Catfish fishing in Louisiana

Louisiana provides strong freshwater fishing opportunities for catfish. Lakes, rivers, and reservoirs across the state offer reliable action for anglers.

Best baits and lures for Catfish in Louisiana

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

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Biggest Catfish catches

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Latest Catfish fishing reports in Louisiana

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Blue catfish

Toledo Bend Reservoir

length · weight

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Blue catfish

Donner Canal

length · weight

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Channel catfish

Hopedale Canal

length · weight

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Hardhead sea catfish

Bayou la Loutre

length · weight

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Flathead catfish

Amite River Diversion Canal

length · weight

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Blue catfish

Amite River Diversion Canal

length · weight

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Gafftopsail sea catfish

Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal

length · weight

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Channel catfish

False River

40 in · 25 lb 5 oz

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Channel catfish

Bayou D'Arbonne Lake

21 in · 3 lb

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Blue catfish

Toledo Bend Reservoir

27 in · 7 lb 3 oz

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Regulations for Catfish in Louisiana

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 Louisiana 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 April 6th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.

Channel catfish

Seasons

Open

Bag limit

100

Min size

11"

Measurement

Total Length

Aggregate

100
An angler may possess up to 25 undersized catfish of the three species (blue catfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish) combined.
The following waterbodies have modified size and bag limits for regulated catfish:
Caddo Lake: no size limit; bag limit = 50 in aggregate (blue catfish + channel catfish) with no more than 5 over 30-inches;
Sabine River: no size limit; bag limit = 50 in aggregate (blue catfish + channel catfish) with no more than 5 over 30-inches;
Toledo Bend: no size limit; bag limit = 50 in aggregate (blue catfish + channel catfish) with no more than 5 over 30-inches;

Ictalurus punctatus

Regulations for

30°56′14.4″N 91°24′2.9″W
Regulations in the map
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