Blue Catfish in Illinois
Illinois blue catfish: limit, record, stocking and waters.
- no daily caplimit
- 124 lbs 0 ozrecord
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blue catfish across Illinois water
Look for "Blue, Channel, and Flathead Catfish" in the digest table to find the blue catfish limit. Its text opens: "There are no daily harvest or size limits, except as specified under Site Specific Regulations." The row lumps several fish together under one number when a cap applies.
IDNR lists 124 lbs 0 oz as the hook and line mark, taken at Mississippi River in 2005. Begin with Clinton Lake, Lake Springfield and Braidwood Lake, among 17 Illinois pages that list it. 845,734 went into 15 waters, by the IDNR stocking table.
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| Row as printed | Daily | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Blue, Channel, and Flathead Catfish | no limit | no size limit |
There are no daily harvest or size limits, except as specified under Site Specific Regulations.
IDNR 2026 Illinois Fishing Information digest (IDNR) page 10, read November 4, 2026.
Record blue catfish on the IDNR list
| Division | Weight | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hook and line | 124 lbs 0 oz | Mississippi River | Madison County | May 21, 2005 |
| bow and arrow | 31 lbs 14.4 oz | Kaskaskia River | Randolph County | May 30, 2019 |
IDNR Illinois state record fish list (keeper: Illinois Department of Natural Resources; no angler names printed), read November 4, 2026.
Where IDNR stocked blue catfish
| Year | Water as listed | Number | Size class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Clinton Lake | 49,036 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2026 | Powerton Lake | 34,277 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2026 | Springfield, Lake | 28,013 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2026 | Braidwood Lake | 23,004 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2026 | LaSalle Cooling Lake | 20,739 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2026 | Taylorville, Lake | 13,000 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2026 | Coffeen Lake | 11,031 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2026 | Glenn Shoals, Lake | 8,000 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2026 | Spring Lake – McDonough County | 7,520 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2026 | Schuy-Rush Lake | 5,436 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2026 | Lake Storey | 3,900 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2026 | Canton Lake | 3,750 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2026 | Carthage Lake | 1,223 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
| 2026 | Vermont Lake | 1,087 | Advanced Fingerling (4 – 7") |
IDNR fish stocking table on ifishillinois.org (year, water, species, size class and number as listed; no stocking dates published), read November 4, 2026.
Where the IDNR outlook names blue catfish
| Lake | IDNR rating | County |
|---|---|---|
| Baldwin Lake | Excellent | Randolph County |
| Powerton Lake | Excellent | Tazewell County |
| Canton Lake | Good | Fulton County |
| Clinton Lake | Average | DeWitt County |
| Braidwood Lake | Very Good | Will County |
IDNR fishing outlook ratings and survey notes as printed on the IFishIllinois page, read November 4, 2026.
Illinois water that lists blue catfish
Impoundments with blue catfish
- Clinton Lake4,895 acres
- Lake Springfield3,866 acres
- Braidwood LakeWill County
- LaSalle Cooling Lake2,058 acres
- Baldwin Lake2,018 acres
- Heidecke Lake1,955 acres
- Powerton Lake1,426 acres
- Lake Taylorville1,286 acres
- Coffeen Lake1,102 acres
- Lake Glenn Shoals1,085 acres
- Canton LakeFulton County
- Schuy-Rush Lake191 acres
- Lake Storey133 acres
- Carthage Lake44 acres
- Vermont Lake38 acres
Moving water for blue catfish
- Kaskaskia RiverDouglas County
- Illinois River, Alton PoolMorgan County
IDNR IFishIllinois outlook ratings and species lists, the IDNR stocking table and IDNR record waters; largest waters first.
Other Illinois fish beside blue catfish
- Channel Catfishno daily cap
- Flathead Catfishno daily cap
Timber, cornfield and water around Blue Catfish through a lens
Photo: Alaina McDavid, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: edward stojakovic, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Charles Fulton, CC BY 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
blue catfish questions from cornfield ponds to the big river
What does IDNR allow per day for blue catfish?
Per the digest: no limit, no size limit. Check the site-specific list for the lake you fish.
Does IDNR list a record blue catfish?
124 lbs 0 oz from Mississippi River, 2005. Angler names are not printed.
Which Prairie State lake holds blue catfish?
Start at Clinton Lake, Lake Springfield and Braidwood Lake; 17 pages carry it.
Do any Illinois waters set their own blue catfish rule?
The site-specific list leaves it alone, apart from all-fish gear entries.
Were blue catfish stocked in Illinois recently?
845,734 went into 15 waters in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
How much is an Illinois license to fish for blue catfish?
Anglers 16 and older carry an Illinois fishing license ($15 a year for residents, $31.50 for nonresidents in 2026).
Is there a bow record for blue catfish in Illinois?
IDNR runs two lists: hook and line and bow and arrow. Its entries: 2 record rows.
What does the IDNR outlook say about blue catfish?
5 lake pages carry an IDNR grade for it; Baldwin Lake rates excellent.
Line up a day on Illinois blue catfish
Each water above lists its ramps and site-specific rules on its own page.