When is channel catfish season in Illinois?

Illinois keeps channel catfish open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.

What is the Illinois bag limit for channel catfish?

The Illinois daily bag limit for channel catfish is No statewide daily limit; many inland lakes set a site-specific 6 / day channel-catfish limit. Mississippi River: 20 / day combined blue + channel. Ohio + Wabash Rivers: no limit on fish under 28 in, only 1 channel catfish 28 in or longer per day.. The possession limit is No statewide possession limit (site-specific lakes may apply their own). Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size channel catfish can you keep in Illinois?

The Illinois size rule for channel catfish is No statewide minimum. 13 in min on the Ohio + Wabash Rivers, where no more than 1 channel catfish 28 in or longer may be kept per day.. Trophy rule: IL state-record channel catfish 45 lb 4 oz — Baldwin Lake (Randolph County cooling lake), 1987, Todd Baumeyer; Illinois power-plant cooling lakes grow the state's heaviest channel cats on year-round thermal discharge. The Ohio + Wabash Rivers cap the daily harvest at 1 channel catfish 28 in or longer..

Do you need a license to fish for channel catfish in Illinois?

Yes. Illinois requires a valid fishing license to fish for channel catfish, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Illinois license — compare resident and non-resident Illinois fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for channel catfish in Illinois?

Yes. In Illinois, channel catfish fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trotlines, setlines, limblines + juglines permitted for catfish under IDNR tag/labeling rules; No statewide harvest or size limit — but many inland lakes carry a site-specific 6 / day channel-catfish limit; Mississippi River: 20 / day combined blue + channel (IL ↔ IA + IL ↔ MO reciprocal main stem); Ohio + Wabash Rivers: 13 in min, 1 channel catfish ≥ 28 in / day (trophy cap); Illinois sport fishing licence required ages 16+ ($15 res / $31.50 NR annual).

Do specific Illinois waters have different channel catfish rules?

Yes. 5 named Illinois waters carry rules that override the statewide channel catfish regulation, including Mississippi River, Ohio River, Wabash River, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Illinois Channel catfish 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Ictalurus punctatus

Last updated May 30, 2026

Channel catfish are Illinois's most widespread and most-stocked catfish — found in every major river, the reservoir tier (Carlyle, Rend, Lake Shelbyville), the cooling-lake circuit, the Fox Chain O' Lakes, and the IDNR urban + community-pond program that makes them the most accessible catfish for new anglers. The IL state-record channel catfish weighed 45 lb 4 oz, caught from Baldwin Lake — a Randolph County power-plant cooling lake whose thermal discharge grows oversize channel cats — by Todd Baumeyer in 1987. Statewide, Illinois sets no harvest or size limit on catfish, but a large number of inland lakes carry a site-specific 6-fish daily limit on channel catfish (no minimum length). The Mississippi River allows 20 / day combined blue + channel (the interstate Upper Mississippi River uniform regulation), while the Ohio + Wabash boundary rivers carry a 13-inch minimum and a 1-fish-28-inch-or-longer daily trophy cap matching Kentucky's and Indiana's Ohio River rules.

Compare channel catfish regulations across all states →

Get change alerts

Watch Illinois Channel catfish and we'll email you when a season, bag limit, slot, or closure changes. Free while in beta.

Season

Open year-round Open year-round statewide. No statewide harvest or size limit on catfish, but many inland lakes set a site-specific 6 / day channel-catfish limit. Mississippi River: 20 / day combined blue + channel. Ohio + Wabash Rivers: 13-inch minimum, no limit on fish under 28 in, only 1 channel catfish 28 in or longer per day.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: No statewide daily limit; many inland lakes set a site-specific 6 / day channel-catfish limit. Mississippi River: 20 / day combined blue + channel. Ohio + Wabash Rivers: no limit on fish under 28 in, only 1 channel catfish 28 in or longer per day.
Possession: No statewide possession limit (site-specific lakes may apply their own)

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No statewide minimum. 13 in min on the Ohio + Wabash Rivers, where no more than 1 channel catfish 28 in or longer may be kept per day.
Trophy rule: IL state-record channel catfish 45 lb 4 oz — Baldwin Lake (Randolph County cooling lake), 1987, Todd Baumeyer; Illinois power-plant cooling lakes grow the state's heaviest channel cats on year-round thermal discharge. The Ohio + Wabash Rivers cap the daily harvest at 1 channel catfish 28 in or longer.

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; trotlines, setlines, limblines + juglines permitted for catfish under IDNR tag/labeling rules
No statewide harvest or size limit — but many inland lakes carry a site-specific 6 / day channel-catfish limit
Mississippi River: 20 / day combined blue + channel (IL ↔ IA + IL ↔ MO reciprocal main stem)
Ohio + Wabash Rivers: 13 in min, 1 channel catfish ≥ 28 in / day (trophy cap)
Illinois sport fishing licence required ages 16+ ($15 res / $31.50 NR annual)

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Illinois waters:

Mississippi River
20 / day combined blue + channel catfish; IL ↔ IA + IL ↔ MO reciprocal main stem
Ohio River
13 in min, no limit under 28 in, 1 channel ≥ 28 in / day; IL/KY boundary under the Ohio River Reciprocity Compact
Wabash River
13 in min, no limit under 28 in, 1 channel ≥ 28 in / day; IL/IN boundary water
Shabbona Lake
6 / day channel catfish, no minimum (site-specific inland-lake limit)
Carlyle Lake
6 / day channel catfish, no minimum (site-specific); 26,000-acre Kaskaskia River impoundment

Official source

Illinois Department of Natural Resources publishes the authoritative 2026 Illinoisfishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

The channel catfish rules on this page are sourced from Illinois Department of Natural Resources's official channel catfish regulation page.

Visit official Illinois fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Channel catfish closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Illinois Department of Natural Resources's emergency-order feed — check it before any Illinois trip during the active season.

Frequently asked questions

When is channel catfish season in Illinois?: Illinois keeps channel catfish open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
What is the Illinois bag limit for channel catfish?: The Illinois daily bag limit for channel catfish is No statewide daily limit; many inland lakes set a site-specific 6 / day channel-catfish limit. Mississippi River: 20 / day combined blue + channel. Ohio + Wabash Rivers: no limit on fish under 28 in, only 1 channel catfish 28 in or longer per day.. The possession limit is No statewide possession limit (site-specific lakes may apply their own). Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size channel catfish can you keep in Illinois?: The Illinois size rule for channel catfish is No statewide minimum. 13 in min on the Ohio + Wabash Rivers, where no more than 1 channel catfish 28 in or longer may be kept per day.. Trophy rule: IL state-record channel catfish 45 lb 4 oz — Baldwin Lake (Randolph County cooling lake), 1987, Todd Baumeyer; Illinois power-plant cooling lakes grow the state's heaviest channel cats on year-round thermal discharge. The Ohio + Wabash Rivers cap the daily harvest at 1 channel catfish 28 in or longer..
Do you need a license to fish for channel catfish in Illinois?: Yes. Illinois requires a valid fishing license to fish for channel catfish, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Illinois license — compare resident and non-resident Illinois fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for channel catfish in Illinois?: Yes. In Illinois, channel catfish fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trotlines, setlines, limblines + juglines permitted for catfish under IDNR tag/labeling rules; No statewide harvest or size limit — but many inland lakes carry a site-specific 6 / day channel-catfish limit; Mississippi River: 20 / day combined blue + channel (IL ↔ IA + IL ↔ MO reciprocal main stem); Ohio + Wabash Rivers: 13 in min, 1 channel catfish ≥ 28 in / day (trophy cap); Illinois sport fishing licence required ages 16+ ($15 res / $31.50 NR annual).
Do specific Illinois waters have different channel catfish rules?: Yes. 5 named Illinois waters carry rules that override the statewide channel catfish regulation, including Mississippi River, Ohio River, Wabash River, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

← Back to Illinois regulations overview