Catfish Lake Fishing Guide

Catfish fishing usually varies greatly depending on the time of the year which you choose to go fishing and the preference for specific sections of the lake based on temperature, the season as well as the actual type of fish which you would like to catch. Simply put, all of the above mentioned factors directly affect your level of success any time that you may decide to go out to fish catfish.

First off, it is very important to understand the fact that the season stands to significantly influence your ability to catch catfish. In fact, fishing at the lake is best in late spring and in early summer.

This is because it is during such months it is easy to get the best catch away from shore or in the deep areas in the lake. What’s more, catfish usually tend to be very active during these months, having just spawned and headed out and about in search of food. By comparison, you will come to learn that catfish fishing in mid spring as well as in early morning is most productive closest to the shore line or in slightly more shallow areas where catfish prefer to spawn in.

When out fishing catfish from the lake whether in late fall or in winter, it is important to restrict your fishing to the warmest waters in the process targeting the deepest of holes. In such a case, depth finder will most probably come in handy since it will make it much easier to fish. 

Another very important thing to take note of is the fact that the breed of catfish which you seek stands to also affect the lake fishing techniques which would work best when fishing catfish from the lake. Although there several types of catfish to choose from, the channel cat, flat heads and the blue catfish are the most commonly targeted in north America. The channel catfish is by far the most common yet smallest of all the three already mentioned above. It is common in most parts of the United States.

One very interesting thing about these fish is the fact that they are not in any way picky about where they live instead they have simply opted to always stay in warm waters with a lot of materials which they can easily scavenge for food.

Generally speaking, channel cat have a tendency of dwelling mostly in drainage, spillways off lakes, next to or near dams and creeks since such areas tend to have lots of free food.

Taking into consideration the fact that these particular type of catfish are just right about the size to make a perfect meal for blues and flat-heads, when out fishing, you are guaranteed a chance to come across them in large numbers especially where cat fish are not very common.

However, when out fishing for flat heads on the other hand, it is strongly advised that you get to stick to murky areas filled with lots of cover particularly where the lake bottom is sandy or very muddy.

Night fishing off the banks using a shoreline is equally advised since flat heads have a tendency to always come right up to the shallows with an aim of feeding especially after hours.

Lake catfish fishing particularly for blues on the other hand should target clearer waters with faster currents and should definitely be focused on larger lakes for these giants.

Take note, blues as well as flat heads are mostly concentrated in Midwest particularly around lakes which are centered around the Mississippi river which serves as one of their native homes. 

It is important to note that temperature is yet another major concern in the fishing of Lake Catfish. This is mainly because catfish are not greatly fond of cold water plus they prefer to spawn in temperatures which range from 75 to around 80 degrees. Bearing this in mind, targeting lakes which do not freeze free / solidify during winter is a perfect way to assure success on Lake Catfish fishing excursion. 

In addition to the above, never rule out the possibility of coming across large catfish in a cold lake. This is because there are fairly heavy populations of the larger catfish species present in the great lakes as well as in their tributaries. Remember, this type of fish is not in the least bit predictable in behavior.

Overall, Lake Catfish fishing serves as a guarantee to produce similar products from any lake in the country. Interesting thing is in case you do not come across any of the three common varieties already mentioned above, then chances are you will most definitely come across the bull head catfish or a white catfish.

Bottom line is regardless of what you catch, be rest assured of an awesome time eating whatever you may have caught once you are done fishing.