Catfish

Need assistance with wildlife and fish management on your ranch, backyard, or pond? Simply call your local County Extension Agent.

Catfish can be grown in ponds, cages and raceways, but more than 95 percent of all catfish are produced in earthen ponds. Channel catfish need warm water for good growth; 80 to 85 degrees F is the optimum temperature, though some growth occurs at temperatures as low as 60 degrees F. All regions of Texas are suitable for commercial catfish production. Northeast Texas has about 200 days per year when water temperature is above 60 degrees F, while South Texas may have more than 320 days. Other factors being equal, the longer the growing season, the greater the annual production and return on investment.

The future for catfish farming in Texas is bright. The Texas climate is nearly ideal for production and more catfish is consumed in Texas than in any other state. There are challenges such as uncertain markets, controlling off-flavor, water quality management, bird predation, harvesting difficulties, disease management, and effluent discharge regulations. While the risks are not too different from those of other agricultural enterprises, much more time and effort are needed to manage catfish production than most other crop or livestock enterprises.

-Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Publication No. E-342, Texas Catfish Production In Ponds

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service	Texas Catfish Production in Ponds
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department	Guidelines for the Culture of Blue and Channel Catfish
Southern Regional Aquaculture Center	SRAC Publication No. 180 – Channel Catfish- Life History and Biology SRAC Publication No. 181 – Feeding Catfish in Commercial Ponds SRAC Publication No. 183 – Processing Channel Catfish SRAC Publication No. 184 – Processed Catfish- Product Forms, Packaging, Yields and Product Mix SRAC Publication No. 190 – Production of Hybrid Catfish SRAC Publication No. 191 – Design and Construction of Degassing Units for Catfish Hatcheries SRAC Publication No. 192 – Managing Off-Flavor Problems in Pond-Raised Catfish SRAC Publication No. 1800 – Costs of Small-Scale Catfish Production SRAC Publication No. 1801 – Infestations of the Trematode Bolbophorus sp. in Channel Catfish SRAC Publication No. 1802 – Channel Catfish Broodfish Management SRAC Publication No. 1803 – Channel Catfish Broodfish and Hatchery Management SRAC Publication No. 1804 – Managing Hatch Rate and Diseases in Catfish Eggs SRAC Publication No. 1805 – Advances in Catfish Harvesting Gear- Seines and Live Cars SRAC Publication No. 1806 – Feed Ingredients and Feeds for Channel Catfish
North Central Regional Aquaculture Center	NCRAC Publication No. 444 – Pond Culture of Channel Catfish in the North Central Region
United States Department of Agriculture	Catfish 2003 Part I – Reference of Fingerling Catfish Health and Production Practices in the United States, 2003 Catfish 2003 Part II – Reference of Foodsize Catfish Health and Production Practices in the United States, 2003
Kentucky State University	Guidelines for Producing Food-Size Channel Catfish
Auburn University	Catfish Farming – Is It For You? Practical Channel Catfish Brood Stock – Selection and Management Incubating and Hatching Catfish Eggs in McDonald Jars Enteric Septicemia of Catfish
Mississippi State University	Catfish Farmer’s Handbook A Practical Guide to Nutrition, Feeds, and Feeding of Catfish Catfish Nutrition- Feeding Food Fish Feed Price Risk Management Considerations for Catfish Producers Producing Hybrid Catfish Fry- Workshop Manual Pond Preparation for Spawning Channel Catfish Commercial Catfish Production (Harvesting, Grading, Loading, and Transport) Nutrient Characteristics of Pond-Raised Channel Catfish Impact of Diuron Usage on the Mississippi Catfish Industry Catfish Nutrition- Feeds
Louisiana State University	The Impact of Price and Yield Variability on Southeastern U.S. Catfish Producer Operations Purchasing Channel Catfish Fingerlings Temperature Effects on Spawning and Fingerling Production of Channel Catfish Ictalurus Punctatus
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff	Fry Stocking Rates for the Production of Channel Catfish Fingerlings Arkansas Catfish Production Budgets
University of Florida	Farm-Raised Channel Catfish
The Catfish Institute	Catfish Institute – Homepage
Extension.org	Production Responses of Channel Catfish to Minimum Daily Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations in Earthen Ponds Comparative growth and yield of channel catfish and channel x blue hybrid catfish fed a full or restricted ration
Langston University	Caged Catfish Culture Problems