Lake Fork Channel Catfish

Summer is here, which means it’s channel catfish season. The channel catfish caught in Lake Fork fork are bigger than your average catfish due to the healthy waters in the area. They can easily weigh in the 2-4 pound range or more in Lake Fork. While in other areas they tend to only reach 1.5 pounds.

If you’re going after Lake Fork’s channel catfish, here we will cover the basics of where to catch them, a few tips for targeting them, and the gear you will need to get the job done.

Where to Catch Channel Cats

In the heat of the summer, you will find the channel cats in waters at least 25 feet deep. They are looking for cooler waters with lower light conditions. Though, sometimes you can catch them at night coming to the shallows to feed.

Tips

Vertical Fishing

In the summer, vertical fishing is gonna be the most productive to reach channel cats. If you end up casting for them you’ll very likely get stuck on the brush in lake fork.

Fish the Bottom

You need to let your bait make contact with the bottom and then reel it up about two reel turns. Pay close attention to your rod tip because sometimes the cats will just mouth your bait so if you notice a little action, be prepared to set your hook hard to really bury it.

Chicken Liver

Many anglers love to use chicken liver for catfish. The blood can attract catfish and it’s also pretty tough so it will stay on your hook pretty firmly. It’s also pretty budget-friendly, and widely available, so you really can’t go wrong with it.

If you’re not having luck with chicken liver, stinkbait and cut bait also work well for channel catfish.

Gear

If you’re targeting Lake Fork’s larger catfish you may want a baitcasting rod for fighting these heavier fish. If you’re fishing smaller catfish you can get away with a medium to medium-light spinning rod.

Read more about fishing for channel catfish.