Minnesota DNR Fisheries has been stocking a number of metro lakes with channel catfish since 1997. Some catfish stocked are yearling sized (6 to 8 inches) as well as adults in the 1 to 3 pound range. Yearling catfish reach catchable size in about two years.
Catfish are a fun species to catch and popular fish to eat. Channel catfish can be easy to catch if you use the right techniques. Live bait such as worms and minnows work good as well as stink baits. Other popular baits are chicken livers, cheese and shrimp. Try fishing around cover such as docks or trees in the water.
If you are interested in channel catfishing, try Minnesota's rivers or check out this clickable map of metro catfish lakes!
