2026 regulation year
Flathead catfish Fishing Regulations by State (2026)
Pylodictis olivaris
Last updated
Flathead catfish is regulated separately by each state. This page compares the open-season window, daily bag limit, and size or slot rule for flathead catfish across the 13 states fishregs covers deeply for 2026. Rules vary by state and often by individual water body, so confirm on the linked state page before fishing. New to bag, slot, and size limits? The glossary explains every term.
Flathead catfish regulations comparison by state
| State | Open season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Open year-round | No limit on catfish under 34 inches; only 1 catfish 34 inches or longer per day (one rule covering blue + channel + flathead combined). Exempt: the seven southeastern river basins (no 34-in cap). | No minimum size; only 1 catfish per day may be 34 inches or longer (a combined trophy cap). No 34-inch cap in the seven exempt southeastern river basins. |
| Arizona | Open year-round | 10 / day combined channel + flathead catfish (lowered from the former 25 / day in the 2024 AZGFD simplification) | No statewide minimum |
| Arkansas | Open year-round | 10 / day combined across channel + blue + flathead catfish statewide; no limit on the Mississippi River + Grand Lake | No statewide minimum size; 20 in min on the Ouachita River from Remmel Dam to Sandy Beach Access (flathead must be 20 in or longer to keep) |
| Illinois | Open year-round | No statewide daily limit. Mississippi River: 10 flathead / day. Ohio + Wabash Rivers: no limit on fish under 35 in, only 1 flathead catfish 35 in or longer per day. | No statewide minimum. 13 in min on the Ohio + Wabash Rivers, where no more than 1 flathead catfish 35 in or longer may be kept per day. |
| Indiana | Open year-round | No daily limit in rivers + streams (incl. the Ohio River); 10 / day combined catfish in lakes. Only 1 flathead catfish 35 in or longer may be kept per day. | 13 in min in rivers + streams (incl. the Ohio River); no minimum in lakes. No more than 1 flathead catfish 35 in or longer per day. |
| Kansas | Open year-round | 5 / day per angler statewide | No statewide length limit |
| Louisiana | Open year-round | 100 / day combined flathead + blue + channel (aggregate); 10 / day on Caddo Lake, Sabine River, Toledo Bend | 14 in min statewide; 18 in min on Caddo Lake, Sabine River, Toledo Bend |
| Mississippi | Open year-round | No statewide daily creel limit; 10 / day on State Fishing Lakes + State Park Lakes (Choctaw Lake + Lake Okhissa 5 / day); 1 fish over 34 in / day on Alabama–Tennessee border waters (Pickwick Lake) | No statewide minimum length; on Alabama–Tennessee border waters (Pickwick) no creel limit on catfish under 34 in but only 1 fish over 34 in / day |
| Missouri | Open year-round | 5 / day statewide. Mississippi River: 10 / day. Lake of the Ozarks / Truman / Table Rock / Bull Shoals / Norfork: 10 catfish combined (channel + blue + flathead). | No statewide length limit; 26 in min on Mark Twain Lake |
| Nebraska | Open year-round | 5 / day per angler statewide | No minimum length; no more than one fish 30 in or longer per day |
| Oklahoma | Open year-round | 5 / day statewide (a SEPARATE limit — flathead is not part of the 15-fish channel+blue aggregate) | No statewide minimum length |
| South Carolina | Open year-round | No statewide daily creel limit (introduced species — harvest unrestricted) | No statewide size limit |
| West Virginia | Open year-round | 4 / day on the Kanawha + Monongahela + Ohio rivers | No minimum; only one fish 35 in or longer per day |
Figures are statewide defaults for 2026. Specific lakes, rivers, and coastal zones can carry their own flathead catfish rules — open any state row for the full season map, gear restrictions, and named water-body overrides.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is there a nationwide flathead catfish season or bag limit?
- No. Each US state sets its own flathead catfish rules. Across the 13 states covered here, 13 keep harvest open year-round while 0 define a closed season, and daily bag and size limits differ from state to state. Use the table above to compare, then open a state page for the exact current rule.
- Does my fishing license cover flathead catfish in every state?
- No. A fishing license is valid only in the state that issued it, apart from a few border-water reciprocity agreements. To fish flathead catfish in another state you generally need that state's non-resident license — compare non-resident fees on the license-fees page and check the reciprocity page for shared-water exceptions.
- Why do flathead catfish rules vary so much between states?
- Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) is a freshwater species, and each state manages it for its own water temperatures, spawning timing, population health, and fishing pressure. Many states also set tougher rules on specific lakes or rivers, so the statewide figure shown here can be overridden on a named water body — always confirm on the linked state page before fishing.