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Home > Learn to Fish & Boat > Fish Species > Flathead Catfish
The flathead catfish is a popular food fish has an excellent flavor.
The flathead catfish is very distinctive in appearance and not easily confused with any other species. It is one of the largest catfish in its family, second in size only to the blue catfish. It has a square, rather than forked, tail. Its body is long, and its head is wide and is a distinctly flat-looking, oval shape. The lower jaw further accentuates it by protruding beyond the upper jaw. In general coloration, the flathead catfish is mottled with varying shades of brown and yellow.
The flathead catfish is native to the large rivers of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio basins from southern North Dakota, south into northern Mexico, and east as far as Lake Erie’s southeast coast and the western most tip of the Florida panhandle. It occurs broadly over this entire area and has now been widely introduced outside its native range.It frequents deep sluggish pools with hard bottoms in large rivers. The following list includes additional details on where to catch this fish:
It seems to have a distinct preference for fish, but it is omnivorous. The following are fishing methods used to catch this fish:
The following are lures, tackle or bait that can be used to catch this fish:
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