SlotGaugeCheck a catchCatfish (blue, channel, flathead) regulations in North Carolina
Catfish · Freshwater · 2026 season
Catfish (blue, channel, flathead) size limit, season and daily limit
| Where | Season | Size limit | Daily limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC inland and joint fishing waters (default) | Open year-round | No size limit | No limit |
| Listed community fishing ponds and ponds on game lands | Open year-round | No size limit | 7 channel catfish per day |
| Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Dam to SC line and tributaries | Open year-round | No size limit | 5 in combination |
| Badin, Dan River below Danville, Gaston, Kerr, Mountain Island, Norman, Roanoke Rapids, Tillery, Wylie | Open year-round | Only one blue catfish may be greater than 32 inches | No limit under 32 inches; only 1 blue catfish over 32 inches |
Notes
- No statewide limit, but trophy-blue-cat reservoirs (Badin, Gaston, Kerr, Norman, Tillery, Wylie, Mountain Island, Roanoke Rapids, Dan River) allow only one blue catfish over 32 inches per day.
- Community fishing ponds: 7 channel catfish. Lower Pee Dee: 5 catfish combined.
Exact NC Division of Marine Fisheries wording
- Season
- Open year-round
- Size
- None
- Limit
- No limit (exceptions: community ponds and game-land ponds 7 channel catfish; Pee Dee below Blewett Falls 5 in combination; listed reservoirs only 1 blue catfish over 32 inches)
- NC inland and joint fishing waters (default) — as printed
- “Catfish (Blue, Channel, & Flathead) — All inland fishing waters and joint fishing waters when caught by hook and line except those listed below: | None | None ... [community fishing ponds] | None | 7 Channel Catfish ... Pee Dee River downstream of Blewett Falls Dam to the South Carolina state line and all tributaries | None | 5 in combination ... Badin Lake, Dan River (downstream of the Union Street Dam in Danville, VA), Lake Gaston (North Carolina Portion), John H. Kerr Reservoir (North Carolina Portion), Mountain Island Reservoir, Lake Norman, Roanoke Rapids Reservoir, Lake Tillery, Lake Wylie | No minimum size limit, and only one Blue Catfish may be greater than 32 inches | No daily creel limit for Blue Catfish less than 32 inches, and only one Blue Catfish may be greater than 32 inches”
Source: NC Division of Marine Fisheries, captured 2026-09-29 (2026 season).
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About the catfish
Species of fish
The flathead catfish, also called by several common names including mudcat or shovelhead cat, is a large species of North American freshwater catfish in the family Ictaluridae. It is the only species of the genus Pylodictis. Ranging from the lower Great Lakes region to northern Mexico, it has been widely introduced and is an invasive species in some areas. The closest living relative of the flathead catfish is the much smaller widemouth blindcat, Satan eurystomus, a cavefish.
Read more about Flathead catfish on Wikipedia →
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from NC Division of Marine Fisheries, not Wikipedia.
All 120 North Carolina species A–Z →
Frequently asked
What is the size limit for Catfish (blue, channel, flathead) in North Carolina?
No size limit in North Carolina state waters.
How many Catfish (blue, channel, flathead) can you keep per day in North Carolina?
No limit.
When is Catfish (blue, channel, flathead) season in North Carolina?
Open year-round.
Is my Catfish (blue, channel, flathead) a keeper today?
Catfish (blue, channel, flathead) has no size limit today, with No limit.