Catfishing By Season.
Wondering when the best time to catch catfish in Texas is? The good news — catfishing in North Texas is excellent year-round. This guide breaks down exactly what to expect throughout the year on our guided catfish trips on Eagle Mountain Lake, Lake Lewisville, Lake Worth, Lake Ray Roberts, Lake Grapevine, Benbrook Lake, and Lake Bridgeport in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Fall Catfishing
in Texas.
Fall is an excellent time for North Texas catfishing — the bite picks up across the board, boat traffic thins out, and the weather is perfect for being on the water. Trophy season is also starting to ramp up.
Fall is one of the best times of the year to fish. The weather settles into a pattern, the boat traffic thins out and the fish get going. All fall trips run during the day.
Excellent numbers of blue catfish in the fall using a variety of techniques. Little boat traffic on the lakes makes for relaxing trips. Fall is also when trophy blue catfish season starts to pick up. The best months for monster blue catfish on rod and reel are fall and winter.
We catch blue catfish in big numbers in the fall using several different techniques. It's also when trophy blue catfish fishing starts to pick up. We catch big blues year-round, but fall and winter are the best shot at a monster on rod and reel.
Channel catfish are good year-round, but September, October, and November are great months for catching big numbers of channels on rod and reel using our techniques.
Channel catfish bite all year. September through November is a great time for big numbers of them.
Flatheads put on their feed bag before the winter cold sets in. Fall is a great time to target them — though our prime flathead window is tight (July through October).
Flatheads feed heavily in the fall to get ready for cold water, when they slow way down. It's a good window to go after one.
Winter Catfishing
in Texas.
Winter is one of our favorite times to fish for catfish — especially trophy class catfish on Eagle Mountain Lake, Lake Lewisville, and Lake Worth. Hands down the best trophy blue catfish action of the year. The weather is cool but the fishing keeps you red hot.
Winter is one of my favorite times to fish. While everybody else is in a deer stand, I'm chasing trophy blue catfish on Lake Lewisville, Eagle Mountain Lake and Lake Worth. It's the best trophy action of the year. All winter trips run during the day.
Excellent numbers of blue catfish on rod and reel through the winter. The weather may be cool but the fishing keeps you red hot.
It's cold out, but the blue catfish bite stays hot. We catch good numbers of them on rod and reel all winter.
Trophy blue catfish trips run mid-November through February. Big blues stack up, making them easier to locate. This is when fish over 40 pounds get caught regularly.
Mid-November through February is prime time for big blues. They stack up in the cold, which makes them easier to find and catch. If a big catfish on rod and reel is the goal, book in these months.
Channel catfish bite remains good through the winter. Excellent numbers using various techniques — ultra-light tackle keeps the action fun even when the temperatures drop.
Channel catfish keep biting through the winter, and we still catch good numbers of them.
Flatheads are not very active in winter. Catches are accidental — we don't suggest targeting flathead catfish during the cold months.
Flatheads aren't very active in winter here. We catch one now and then by accident, but I wouldn't book a trip for them this time of year.
Spring Catfishing
in Texas.
Red hot, fast and furious. Spring is when the catfish bite gets the most insane — trips are in high demand, so book early. Shallow-water action will blow you away.
Spring is tough to beat for fast action. Blue catfish bite in huge numbers, and these dates book up early. All spring trips run during the day.
Hard to put into words how fast they bite. Easy limits most days. You'll be surprised at where and how we fish them in spring — shallow-water action that gets your blood pumping.
It's hard to describe how fast the blues bite in a North Texas spring. You'll be surprised where we find them and how we catch them.
Trophy trips are not offered in March or spring, but big blues still show up on action trips during the spring shallow-water bite.
We still catch plenty of trophy-class fish in the spring. It's a different style of fishing than winter, and it'll get your blood pumping.
The flathead bite starts to pick up as water warms. But the blue catfish bite is so good in spring that we don't focus on flatheads during this season.
Flatheads start biting again as the water warms up. The blue catfish bite is so good this time of year that we usually don't target flatheads.
Summer Catfishing
in Texas.
Texas summer heat means changing the approach — we run morning, evening, and night trips and avoid the heat of the day. Different bite, still great fishing.
Once the Texas heat sets in, we change how we fish. The catfishing stays good and you can still expect big numbers.
Summer trips run in the morning, the evening or at night. We stay off the water during the heat of the day.
Not as consistent as other seasons but still good numbers of blue catfish on summer trips.
The blue catfish bite isn't as steady in summer, but you can still expect good to excellent numbers.
Trophy trips are not offered in summer. We still catch some bigger blues on action trips, but not at the level of fall and winter.
We still catch some big blues in summer, but nowhere near as many as in fall, winter and spring.
RED HOT. Huge numbers of channels on summer trips — this is peak channel catfish action.
Channel catfish are on fire in the summer. If catching a lot of fish is your idea of a good day, this is your season.
Good numbers, and this is when the biggest flathead catfish get caught. Slow-paced fishing with lots of waiting — not for everyone, but the payoff can be huge.
Flatheads bite in decent numbers, and summer is when the big ones get caught. It's slow fishing with a lot of waiting.
White bass trips run May through October; the best months are May, June and July. Peak season for white bass and hybrid striped bass — surface schools chasing shad, fast light-tackle action with little down time. Great for family groups. Seasonal trips; text to confirm availability.
White bass trips run May through October, and May, June and July are the best stretch. If you want steady action with no down time, this is the time to go after white bass.
The Four
Catfish Species.
Want to dig deeper into each species? Full species pages cover techniques, baits, biology, and what to expect on a guided trip.
Blue Catfish
Year-round · best Oct–Apr
Channel Catfish
Year-round · good all year
Trophy Blue Catfish
Trophy trips mid-Nov → Feb
Flathead Catfish
July → October
Every species we fish for, including white bass and crappie: What we fish for.
When's the best time to catch catfish in North Texas? Any time. Catfishing here is good year-round. Below is what to expect each season on Eagle Mountain Lake, Lake Lewisville, Lake Worth, Lake Grapevine and Lake Ray Roberts, whether you're after numbers of blue catfish, channel catfish, a trophy, or some of each.
Call 817-522-3804 and we'll talk through what fits your dates.
Catfishing by Season
Questions.
Catfishing in North Texas is excellent year-round. Blue catfish are best October through April. Channel catfish bite year-round with no real peak. Trophy blue catfish trips run mid-November through February. Flathead catfish are best July through October.
Our trophy blue catfish trips run mid-November through February, when big blues stack up in the cooler months and are easier to locate. Trophy trips are not offered in March or during the summer.
Flathead catfish are best targeted July through October in North Texas. The flathead bite picks up as fall approaches and they feed heavily before winter. Trips have limited availability, so book early.
Yes. Winter is one of our favorite times to fish for catfish. It's trophy blue catfish season on Eagle Mountain Lake, and numbers of blue and channel catfish stay good through the cold months.
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