The channel catfish likes cool, deep, and decently clean water with a gravel or sand bottom. The fish hides during the day, among rocks and logs, but still feeds day and night. The bottom is where the channel catfish gets most of its food, but a small percentage of its prey comes from the surface also. Prey for young catfish includes insect, crayfish, other fish and tree seeds, although small catfish are eaten in turn by other fish. The catfish can live as long as 25 years, reaching a size of 30 pounds in that time. At a size like this, man is the adult channel catfish’s only predator.
Between late spring and early summer, the male catfish builds a nest in underwater logs, holes or among submerged rocks. The female then lays the eggs which hatch in about 5 to 10 days, and the young channel catfish grow rapidly. Males and females become sexually mature at the same time, between 5 to 8 years old.
Further Reading
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