Blue Catfish in Oklahoma
ODWC limits, the state record and Oklahoma waters for blue catfish.
- 15 a daylimit
- 98 lbsrecord
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Oklahoma blue catfish at a glance
Find "Channel and/or Blue Catfish" on the ODWC chart and you have the blue catfish rule. It reads 15 (combined) a day, with only 1 blue catfish over 30 inches for length. The fish grouped on that line fill one combined stringer.
The ODWC rod and line record is 98 lbs, landed by Billy Nabors in 2004 at Texoma. Try Eufaula Lake, Lake Texoma and Robert S. Kerr Reservoir, among 33 pages that list it. Its rule shifts on 26 areas, for instance American Horse and Barren Fork WMA.
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| Row as printed | Daily | Size | Footnotes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel and/or Blue Catfish | 15 (combined) | Only 1 Blue Catfish over 30 inches | B |
Limits as printed on the ODWC statewide daily and size limits page (2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing and Hunting Regulations (ODWC); PDF), read November 3, 2026.
What the ODWC footnotes add for blue catfish
- For noodling limits, see Method of Take.footnote B
Limits as printed on the ODWC statewide daily and size limits page (2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing and Hunting Regulations (ODWC); PDF), read November 3, 2026.
Where a posted ODWC rule changes blue catfish
| Area | Limits as printed | Methods and restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| American Horse | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed Methods: Up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. |
| Barren Fork WMA | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | up to two rods and reels per person. |
| Black Kettle WMA | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Prohibited methods: trotlines, throwlines, limblines, yo-yos, juglines. |
| Blue River PFHA | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. All crappie: six combined per day, no size limit. | Allowed methods: one rod and reel per person during trout season (other times up to two rods and reels per person). Note: For more trout regulations, see Trout Regulations. |
| Lake Burtschi | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. |
| Carl Etling | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. Cast nets may be used to take bait for personal use. |
| Dahlgren | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. All crappie: no limit. | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. |
| Doc Hollis | All largemouth bass must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught (no harvest allowed). Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. Motors (electric or combustion) are prohibited. | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. |
| Elmer | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. |
| Elmer Thomas Lake | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed methods: rod and reel only. |
| Evans Chambers | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. |
| Greenleaf | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | – |
| Lake Hall | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. |
| Jap Beaver | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. |
| Nanih Waiya | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. |
| Ouachita WMA | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed methods: rod and reel only. |
| Ozzie Cobb | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. |
| Ponds (WMAs) | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing Note: Ponds and creeks within Honobia Creek and Three Rivers Wildlife Management Areas require special permits. All resident anglers, except those under 18 years of age on the first day of the current calendar ye |
| Raymond Gary | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. |
| Robber's Cave | (Carlton, Coon Creek and Wayne Wallace Lakes and From Carlton Lake Dam downstream 1.5 miles to the State Park boundary) Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | (Carlton, Coon Creek and Wayne Wallace Lakes) Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. (From Carlton Lake Dam downstream 1.5 miles to the State Park boundary) Allowed methods: only one rod and reel per person during trout season (other |
Special regulations as printed on the ODWC Public Fishing Areas Special Regulations pages, read November 3, 2026.
Oklahoma state-record blue catfish
| Division | Weight | Length | Angler | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rod and line | 98 lbs | 54 1/2 inches | Billy Nabors | Texoma | November 11, 2004 |
| unrestricted | 118 lbs 8.00 ozs | 57 inches | Dan Grider | Texoma | May 4, 1988 |
ODWC state record fish list (keeper: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation), read November 3, 2026.
Oklahoma spots worth a trip for blue catfish
Reservoirs listing blue catfish
- Eufaula Lake105,500 acres
- Lake Texoma88,000 acres
- Robert S. Kerr Reservoir43,800 acres
- Grand Lake O' the Cherokees41,749 acres
- Oologah Lake29,460 acres
- Kaw Lake23,610 acres
- Keystone Lake23,610 acres
- Fort Gibson Lake19,896 acres
- Sardis Lake14,360 acres
- Tenkiller Ferry Lake12,900 acres
- Webbers Falls Reservoir11,600 acres
- Hugo Lake11,592 acres
- Lake Hudson11,029 acres
- Skiatook Lake10,190 acres
- Waurika Lake10,114 acres
- Tom Steed Reservoir6,400 acres
- Wister Lake6,289 acres
- Sooner Lake5,400 acres
- Lake Thunderbird5,377 acres
- Ellsworth Lake5,112 acres
- Copan Lake4,850 acres
- Hulah Lake2,635 acres
- Lake Stanley Draper2,519 acres
- Lake Hefner2,500 acres
Current with blue catfish
- Kiamichi RiverChoctaw County
- Lower Canadian RiverHaskell County
- Lower Red RiverLove County
ODWC Where To Fish species lists, the 2024 and 2025 stocking reports and ODWC record waters; largest waters first.
Fish that share a line with Oklahoma blue catfish
- Channel Catfish15 a day
- Flathead Catfish5 a day
What the shoreline near Blue Catfish looks like
Photo: usacetulsa, CC BY 2.0
Photo: usacetulsa, Public domain
Photo: Deborah Lee Soltesz, CC0 1.0
Photo: usacetulsa, CC BY 2.0
Oklahoma anglers ask about blue catfish
Which ODWC row limits blue catfish?
The row reads 15 (combined) a day, with only 1 blue catfish over 30 inches.
How heavy is the Oklahoma blue catfish record?
Billy Nabors: 98 lbs in 2004, at Texoma.
Which Oklahoma waters are good for blue catfish?
Eufaula Lake, Lake Texoma and Robert S. Kerr Reservoir head a list of 33 Sooner pages.
Which Oklahoma waters change the blue catfish rule?
American Horse and others, 26 areas in all.
Do Oklahoma hatcheries raise blue catfish?
Neither the 2024 nor the 2025 ODWC stocking report lists it.
Must an out-of-state angler buy a license for Oklahoma blue catfish?
Anglers 18 and older carry an Oklahoma fishing license ($31 annual for residents, $81 for nonresidents in 2026). The $12 Lake Texoma License covers both the Oklahoma and Texas sides of the lake, but not below the dam.
Can a bowfished blue catfish set an Oklahoma record?
A rod and line division and an unrestricted one; the unrestricted list takes bow, gig, spear, trotline and similar catches at or above the rod and line mark. It has 2 record rows.
Which scientific name does ODWC give blue catfish?
The ODWC names are Blue Catfish.