Flathead Catfish

Identification

A broad, flattened head and a squared — not forked — tail, which separates it instantly from channel and blue catfish. Mottled yellow-brown to olive, with a projecting lower jaw.

Habitat & Range

Larger pools and deep holes in rivers and reservoirs, tight to old brushy tangles, submerged logs and undercut banks. Spawning fish excavate a saucer-shaped depression inside a natural cavity or beside a large submerged object.

Native to the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio basins and the Gulf drainages; widely introduced elsewhere, where it is often an aggressive predator on native species.

Diet & Feeding

Almost entirely live fish and crayfish, with mussels, snails and insects taken occasionally. Flatheads rarely take cut or prepared bait, which is the practical difference from channel cats.

Spawning & Reproduction

Spawns in late June and July, distinctly later than channel catfish. The egg mass is a compact golden-yellow clump of 100,000 or more, and a parent agitates it continuously with fin movements to keep it oxygenated and free of silt. The male guards the fry for about a week after hatching.