Other Common Names:

Spotted Cat, Blue Channel Cat, Great Lakes Catfish, Lady Cat

State Record:

41 pounds 0 ounces

Identifying Features:

Channel catfish have eight barbels (whiskers), an olive-green to bluish body with dark spots, and a deeply forked tail.

Typical Adult:

Length: Up to 24 inches
Weight: Up to 20 pounds
Life span: Up to 11 years

Habitat:

Channel catfish inhabit deep streams, rivers, and lakes in eastern and central U.S., especially in deep stretches of sand, gravel, or rubble bottom. They also inhabit lakes, reservoirs, and ponds. The preferred water temperature is 75-80 °F.

Feeding Behavior:

Channel catfish feed on insect larvae, clams, snails, crayfish, crabs, and aquatic plants. They locate food by probing the bottom with their barbels.

Reproductive Behavior (Spawning):

When: Late Spring-Summer
Preferred Water Temperature: 70-75 ° F
How: The male builds the nest in dark secluded spots under logs, in the shade of boulders, holes in riverbanks, or barrels. The female scatters the eggs in the nest. The male guards the nest.

Did You Know:

Young channel catfish are called "fiddlers."

During the 1950s, commercial fisherman harvested nearly 270,000 pounds of channel catfish each year from the Mississippi River.

Other Common Names:

Black Bass, Green Bass, Bigmouth, Linesides, Bucketmouth

State Record:

14 pound 8 ounces

Identifying Features:

Largemouth bass have a black to green back with lighter sides and a pale belly. They have a dark wavy band running the length of their sides. Their mouth extends beyond their eyes.

Typical Adult:

Length: Up to 21 inches
Weight: Up to 10 pounds
Life span: Up to 15 years

Habitat:

Largemouth bass inhabit weedy lakes and ponds and slow-moving rivers and streams throughout U.S. They prefer areas with lots of cover (brush, sunken logs, and rocks). The preferred temperature is 68-78 °F.

Feeding Behavior:

Largemouth bass feed on whatever is available, including small fish, leeches, salamanders, frogs, snakes, and turtles. They also feed more heavily as the water temperature rises.

Reproductive Behavior (Spawning):

When: Spring
Preferred Water Temperature: 63-68 °F
How: The male constructs a 2-3 foot long nest by sweeping away debris from the bottom with its head and tail. It will usually nest usually near heavy cover such as brush and logs. The male guards the eggs and fry (young) for about a month.

Did You Know:

Largemouth bass have a sensor along their lateral line that picks up underwater vibrations as subtle as small fish swimming nearby.

In shallow waters, largemouth bass can detect colors, especially red.

The eyes of largemouth bass absorb more light than human eyes.