Channel Catfish regulations in Connecticut

· Freshwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? Channel Catfish has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 6.

Channel Catfish size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
Connecticut inland waters (statewide; managed lakes differ)	Open year-round	No size limit	6 per person per day

Exact CT DEEP wording

Season: Open year-round
Size: None
Limit: 6 fish in aggregate (3 in Community Fishing Waters)
Inland waters — as printed: “Catfish (Channel Catfish and White Catfish): No minimum length; Daily Creel Limit: 6 fish in aggregate (Community Fishing Waters: 3)”

Source: CT DEEP, captured 2026-10-04 (2026 season).

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About the channel catfish

Species of fish

The channel catfish, known informally as the "channel cat", is a species of catfish native to North America. They are North America's most abundant catfish species, and the official state fish of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Tennessee. The channel catfish is the most fished species of catfish in the United States, with around 8 million anglers angling them per year. The popularity of channel catfish for food has contributed to the rapid expansion of this species' aquaculture in the United States. It has also been widely introduced to Europe, Asia and South America, and many countries consider it an invasive species.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from CT DEEP, not Wikipedia.

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Frequently asked

What is the size limit for Channel Catfish in Connecticut?

No size limit in Connecticut state waters.

How many Channel Catfish can you keep per day in Connecticut?

6 per person per day.

When is Channel Catfish season in Connecticut?

Open year-round.

Is my Channel Catfish a keeper today?

Channel Catfish has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 6.