When is blue catfish season in Kentucky?

Kentucky keeps blue 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 Kentucky bag limit for blue catfish?

The Kentucky daily bag limit for blue catfish is Unlimited on blue catfish under 35 inches; only 1 blue catfish 35 inches or longer per day (trophy limit). Barren River + Carr Creek lakes: blue + channel catfish aggregate 15 / day, only 1 over 25 in.. The possession limit is No possession limit under 35 in; 2 trophy blue catfish (35 in+) in possession. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size blue catfish can you keep in Kentucky?

The Kentucky size rule for blue catfish is No minimum size; a 'trophy' blue catfish is 35 inches or longer, and only 1 trophy may be kept per day.. Trophy rule: Kentucky protects trophy catfish per species: a trophy blue catfish is 35 inches or longer, and only 1 may be harvested per day (2 in possession). Below 35 inches there is no daily or size limit. The Ohio River, Mississippi River, Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and the lower Cumberland River produce blue catfish over 50 — and occasionally over 100 — pounds..

Do you need a license to fish for blue catfish in Kentucky?

Yes. Kentucky requires a valid fishing license to fish for blue 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 Kentucky license — compare resident and non-resident Kentucky fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for blue catfish in Kentucky?

Yes. In Kentucky, blue catfish fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trotlines, juglines, limblines, and set-lines permitted under KDFWR labeling + line-count rules; Per-species trophy rule — only 1 blue catfish 35 in or longer per day (channel 28 in, flathead 35 in are counted separately); Ohio River: KY or IN licence honoured under interstate compact; same unlimited / 1-over-35-in blue catfish rule; Kentucky fishing licence required ages 16+ (resident annual $23 / non-resident annual $55).

Do specific Kentucky waters have different blue catfish rules?

Yes. 6 named Kentucky waters carry rules that override the statewide blue catfish regulation, including Ohio River, Mississippi River, Kentucky Lake, and 3 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Kentucky Blue catfish 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Ictalurus furcatus

Last updated May 30, 2026

Kentucky is one of the South's premier trophy blue catfish states. The Ohio River along the entire northern border, the Mississippi River on the west, Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley (the twin TVA impoundments shared with Tennessee), and the lower Cumberland River below Barkley Dam all produce blue catfish well over 50 pounds — the Kentucky state-record blue catfish topped 100 pounds, caught from the Ohio River. Kentucky manages catfish with an unusually liberal statewide rule: there is no daily limit and no minimum size, except that an angler may keep only one 'trophy' fish of each species per day. For blue catfish, a trophy is any fish 35 inches or longer — so anglers can fill a cooler with eating-size cats while every keeper over 35 inches is held to one per day, protecting the giants that drive the fishery.

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round statewide. No daily limit and no minimum size on blue catfish, except only 1 trophy blue catfish (35 inches or longer) may be harvested per day. Special waters (Barren River + Carr Creek lakes) cap blue + channel catfish at 15 / day, only 1 over 25 in.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: Unlimited on blue catfish under 35 inches; only 1 blue catfish 35 inches or longer per day (trophy limit). Barren River + Carr Creek lakes: blue + channel catfish aggregate 15 / day, only 1 over 25 in.
Possession: No possession limit under 35 in; 2 trophy blue catfish (35 in+) in possession

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No minimum size; a 'trophy' blue catfish is 35 inches or longer, and only 1 trophy may be kept per day.
Trophy rule: Kentucky protects trophy catfish per species: a trophy blue catfish is 35 inches or longer, and only 1 may be harvested per day (2 in possession). Below 35 inches there is no daily or size limit. The Ohio River, Mississippi River, Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and the lower Cumberland River produce blue catfish over 50 — and occasionally over 100 — pounds.

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; trotlines, juglines, limblines, and set-lines permitted under KDFWR labeling + line-count rules
Per-species trophy rule — only 1 blue catfish 35 in or longer per day (channel 28 in, flathead 35 in are counted separately)
Ohio River: KY or IN licence honoured under interstate compact; same unlimited / 1-over-35-in blue catfish rule
Kentucky fishing licence required ages 16+ (resident annual $23 / non-resident annual $55)

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Kentucky waters:

Ohio River main stem
Unlimited; only 1 blue catfish 35 in or longer per day; KY or IN licence honoured; state-record blue catfish water
Mississippi River (KY/MO/TN boundary)
Unlimited; only 1 over 35 in per day; western boundary trophy blue cat water
Kentucky Lake
Unlimited; only 1 over 35 in per day; trophy blue catfish; KY or TN licence honoured
Lake Barkley
Unlimited; only 1 over 35 in per day; lower Barkley Dam tailwater is premier trophy blue cat water; reciprocal with TN
Barren River Lake
Special reg — blue + channel catfish aggregate 15 / day, only 1 longer than 25 in
Carr Creek Lake
Special reg — blue + channel catfish aggregate 15 / day, only 1 longer than 25 in

Official source

Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources publishes the authoritative 2026 Kentuckyfishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

The blue catfish rules on this page are sourced from Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources's official blue catfish regulation page.

Visit official Kentucky fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

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

Frequently asked questions

When is blue catfish season in Kentucky?: Kentucky keeps blue 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 Kentucky bag limit for blue catfish?: The Kentucky daily bag limit for blue catfish is Unlimited on blue catfish under 35 inches; only 1 blue catfish 35 inches or longer per day (trophy limit). Barren River + Carr Creek lakes: blue + channel catfish aggregate 15 / day, only 1 over 25 in.. The possession limit is No possession limit under 35 in; 2 trophy blue catfish (35 in+) in possession. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size blue catfish can you keep in Kentucky?: The Kentucky size rule for blue catfish is No minimum size; a 'trophy' blue catfish is 35 inches or longer, and only 1 trophy may be kept per day.. Trophy rule: Kentucky protects trophy catfish per species: a trophy blue catfish is 35 inches or longer, and only 1 may be harvested per day (2 in possession). Below 35 inches there is no daily or size limit. The Ohio River, Mississippi River, Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and the lower Cumberland River produce blue catfish over 50 — and occasionally over 100 — pounds..
Do you need a license to fish for blue catfish in Kentucky?: Yes. Kentucky requires a valid fishing license to fish for blue 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 Kentucky license — compare resident and non-resident Kentucky fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for blue catfish in Kentucky?: Yes. In Kentucky, blue catfish fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trotlines, juglines, limblines, and set-lines permitted under KDFWR labeling + line-count rules; Per-species trophy rule — only 1 blue catfish 35 in or longer per day (channel 28 in, flathead 35 in are counted separately); Ohio River: KY or IN licence honoured under interstate compact; same unlimited / 1-over-35-in blue catfish rule; Kentucky fishing licence required ages 16+ (resident annual $23 / non-resident annual $55).
Do specific Kentucky waters have different blue catfish rules?: Yes. 6 named Kentucky waters carry rules that override the statewide blue catfish regulation, including Ohio River, Mississippi River, Kentucky Lake, and 3 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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