Channel
Catfish.
Channel catfish are the most plentiful species on every North Texas lake we fish — and our most action-packed trip. Average 1–5 lbs with bigger ones mixed in. We use ultra-light tackle and our proprietary Secret Channel Catfish Rig for fast, furious action. During peak times it's not uncommon to catch 100+ channels in a single morning. Great-eating fish and a great day on the water.
The
Numbers.
Everything worth knowing about channel catfish in North Texas.
The
Technique.
Our approach to channel catfish fishing — gear, bait, and how we put you on fish.
Ultra-Light Tackle
Lighter rods and reels keep every bite fun and give kids a fighting chance. This is hand-loading-rod action, not heavy gear.
Secret Catfish Rig
Our proprietary rig is what produces the volume — fast hookups, fast resets, big numbers.
Numbers Game
100+ fish in a morning is normal during peak times. Hook, fight, release, re-bait, cast. Cycle and repeat.
Family Trip Friendly
The non-stop action makes this our best trip for kids, first-timers, and family groups.
Channel Catfish Fishing in North Texas
Channel catfish are the most plentiful catfish on every North Texas lake we fish, and they make for our most action-packed trips. They bite year-round, they fight hard on light tackle and they're some of the best-eating fish in fresh water. If your goal is steady bites, a full cooler and a great day with family or friends, a channel catfish trip is hard to beat.
Most of our channel catfish trips run on Eagle Mountain Lake, our home water in Fort Worth, where trips are always available and bookable online. Chad fishes the lake nearly every day, so he knows where the channels are feeding and which patterns are producing right now.
How to Identify a Channel Catfish
Channel catfish have a slender, olive-gray to bluish body with a pale belly and a deeply forked tail. Smaller channels usually have scattered dark spots on their sides, which fade as the fish get bigger. Their anal fin, the fin on the underside near the tail, has a rounded outer edge.
That rounded anal fin is the easiest way to tell a channel catfish from a blue catfish. Blues have no spots and a long, straight-edged anal fin. Flatheads are easy to tell apart because their tail is squared off, not forked. See our guide to the types of catfish in Texas for a side-by-side comparison.
How We Fish for Channel Catfish
Channel catfish feed heavily by scent, and they'll eat almost anything they can find. On our trips we use ultra-light tackle and our own Secret Channel Catfish Rig. The lighter gear makes every fish fun to catch and gives kids a real fighting chance, and the rig produces fast hookups, quick resets and big numbers.
During peak times, it's not uncommon to catch 100 or more channel catfish in a single morning. It's a numbers game: hook, fight, unhook, re-bait and get it back in the water. We use Garmin electronics on our 2026 SeaArk Pro Guide Patriot to find the fish, and when the bite slows, we move to the next spot.
Some days we chum or bait an area to pull channels in and hold them there. Learn more in our guide to chumming for catfish.
The Best Time for Channel Catfish
There's no bad time to catch channel catfish in North Texas. Summer is peak season, when channels are red hot and the action is the fastest of the year. September through November is great for big numbers on rod and reel. In spring, the shallow-water bite picks up as the water warms, and May delivers some of the year's best action on big, fat channels. The bite stays good through winter, with excellent numbers on the right days.
In the heat of summer, we run early morning and evening trips to beat the heat, and limited night trips are available.
Great Trips for Kids and Families
Channel catfish trips are our best trips for kids, first-timers and family groups. The nonstop action keeps everyone busy, and you don't need any experience. We bait the hooks, help you fight the fish, take them off the hook and snap the photos. Kids 5 and older are welcome.
These trips are also great for birthday parties, family reunions, corporate outings and friends visiting the Fort Worth area. Standard trips fit up to 6 anglers.
Keeping Channel Catfish for the Table
Channel catfish are excellent eating. Legal catfish under 5 lbs can be kept, and fish cleaning is included on standard trips, so you'll go home with fillets bagged and ready for the cooler. Please take only what you'll use. Catfish over 5 lbs are photographed and released, and Lake Worth trips are catch and release only because of the fish-consumption advisory.
Book a Channel Catfish Trip
Half-day trips run year-round and start at $375 for 1–2 anglers. Five-hour trips run September through April. Each extra angler is $100, and every trip includes the boat, rods, reels, bait and tackle. Bring food, water or soft drinks (no alcohol at any time), a small cooler and a valid Texas fishing license.
North Texas Catfish Guide Service has guided in North Texas for 29 years, with 525+ five-star reviews and 200+ media features. Summer weekends book fast, so check open dates and book online at txcatfishguide.com/book.
Recent channel catfish reports from the water: Eagle Mountain Lake Fishing Report July 2023, Eagle Mountain Lake Fishing Report | May 2023, May 2022 Fishing Report, How To Catch Summer Channel Catfish.
Season by
Season.
What to expect on a channel catfish trip month by month.
FALLCooler Days. Hot Catfish Action.
Fall brings great channel and blue catfish fishing, typically with fast action and good-quality fish. September and October can also offer good opportunities for flathead catfish and white bass. Bring your friends or family—we’ll handle the boat, bait and gear.
WINTERBig Fish. Great Action. Winter Delivers.
The best time of year to chase trophy blue catfish—and a great season for catching numbers of channel and blue catfish. Fishing is typically good to excellent, with plenty of quality fish and a real chance at a trophy, even on trips focused on numbers.
SPRINGBig Blues. Fat Channels. Serious Spring Fun.
March and April bring excellent blue catfish fishing with one of the most fun patterns of the year—and a chance at a trophy. May delivers some of the year’s best channel catfish action, with big numbers of big, fat fish. It also kicks off a great white bass bite.
SUMMERFast Bites. Big Numbers. Summer Fun.
Summer brings consistent channel catfish fishing, typically with fast action and big numbers. June and July also usually offer a great white bass bite. Bring the kids, grandkids or friends—we’ll handle the boat, bait and gear.
Lakes We Fish
For Channel Catfish.
The North Texas lakes where we run guided channel catfish trips.
Eagle Mountain Lake
Lake Lewisville
Lake Ray Roberts
Lake Grapevine
Benbrook Lake
Lake Bridgeport
Channel Catfish
Questions.
Channel catfish bite year-round. Summer is peak season for the fastest action, fall is great for big numbers, spring brings a fun shallow-water bite and the bite stays good through winter.
Most channel catfish we catch run 1–5 lbs, with bigger fish mixed in. The Texas state record channel catfish weighed 36.5 lbs.
Channel catfish feed heavily by scent and eat a wide range of baits, from cut bait to punch bait. On our trips we use our own Secret Channel Catfish Rig, which produces fast hookups and big numbers.
Channel catfish usually have dark spots on their sides, especially smaller fish, and a rounded anal fin. Blue catfish have no spots and a long, straight-edged anal fin. Both have forked tails.
Yes. Legal catfish under 5 lbs can be kept on most lakes, and fish cleaning is included on standard trips. Lake Worth trips are catch and release only.
Yes. Channel catfish trips are our best trips for kids, first-timers and families because the action is steady and the light tackle makes every fish fun. Kids 5 and older are welcome.
Mostly Eagle Mountain Lake, our home water. Lake Lewisville, Lake Ray Roberts, Lake Grapevine, Benbrook Lake and Lake Bridgeport are available by request.
Half-day trips start at $375 for 1–2 anglers, and each extra angler is $100. Boat, bait and tackle are included.
525+ Five-Star
Reviews.
Real reviews from real clients, straight from Google.
"One of the best days I have had fishing in my life! Chad had us catching fish within the first 5 minutes on the water, and it did not stop until our time was up. Chad clearly knows his stuff and he knows the lake like the back of his hand. DO NOT hesitate to book a trip — you will not regret it."
"His boat is awesome — top of the line and comfortable. I do a lot of fishing, and Chad's knowledge of the lake and where the fish would be was unmatched. He was a professional and went above and beyond. We slayed them. My buddy even caught about a 27-pound blue cat on light tackle."
"Best fishing guide service. Never disappointing trip. We have done like 6 trips. Will continue. If you are looking for a fun fishing trip, Chad F is the person to call."
Other Species
We Target.
Blue Catfish
Flathead Catfish
Trophy Blue Catfish
White Bass
Crappie
Ready to wet a line?
Peak season fills 30–60 days out. Lock yours in now.