How much does a channel catfish weigh?
Upload a photo of your catch, or use the tools below, to estimate its weight.
About the channel catfish
Typical adult length: 12–30 in (about 0.7–11.3 lb)
- Lifespan
- Typically lives 10 to 15 years.
- Habitat
- Found in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, tolerating a wide range of water conditions.
- Diet
- An omnivore that eats fish, insects, crustaceans, and plant material.
- Baits & techniques
- Cut bait, chicken liver, or prepared 'stink baits' fished on the bottom are classic choices.
- Best season
- Summer, when water is warm, tends to produce the most consistent action.
- Best time of day
- Evening through night is often the most productive time to fish for them.
- Channel catfish use taste buds covering their entire body, especially their whiskers, to locate food.
- They're one of the most widely stocked and farmed fish species in the United States.
- Channel catfish can tolerate lower oxygen and murkier water than many other gamefish.
Channel Catfish length-to-weight chart
10 inches up to record size (45 in), using the standard length-to-weight formula for this species.
| Length (in) | Estimated weight (lb) |
|---|---|
| 10 | 0.4 |
| 12 | 0.7 |
| 14 | 1.1 |
| 16 | 1.7 |
| 18 | 2.4 |
| 20 | 3.3 |
| 22 | 4.4 |
| 24 | 5.8 |
| 26 | 7.3 |
| 28 | 9.1 |
| 30 | 11.3 |
| 32 | 13.7 |
| 34 | 16.4 |
| 36 | 19.4 |
| 38 | 22.9 |
| 40 | 26.7 |
| 42 | 30.9 |
| 44 | 35.5 |
| 45 | 38.0 |
Estimating weight without a scale
Length-to-weight formulas like the one above assume a typical channel catfish shape for a given length - fisheries biologists call this the cube law. Real fish vary: a well-fed fish ahead of spawning season can weigh noticeably more than a lean fish of the same length, and body shape varies fish to fish.
Adding girth (the distance around the fish at its widest point) meaningfully improves the estimate, because it captures how deep-bodied this particular fish actually is instead of assuming average proportions for the species - use the calculator above and fill in girth if you can measure it.
Either way, treat the result as a solid estimate, not a certified weight - see our terms for why these numbers shouldn't be used for tournaments, regulations, or sales.