# Blue Catfish in Lake Erie



## no_luck_again

I have this argument with several friends every year. 

Every year we catch a lot of catfish that are dark gray (Blue) in color out of the lake, rivers connected to the lake, or northern lakes like Norwalk or Spencer. 

My opinion is that they are channel catfish that are either, naturally because of age or temporarily because of environment, dark in color. 

What do you all think?
Has anyone caught a fish in Lake Erie, immediate tributaries or northern ohio that they can identify as a blue? 

The last one we caught I counted the spines (27) in the anal fin but I could not remember which number was which and since my hands were all fish gutty i decided not to look it up on my phone at the time!


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## Slab assassin 55

Channel catfish have 24-29 rays on the anal fin. The blue cats have 30 or more so the fish was definitely a channel. There are many times that channels are in the "blue" color phase and get mistaken for blue cats the sure fire way to distinguish is the rays on the anal fin. 


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## bludog

I agree the Anal fin is the best way to tell and from what I see the natural range of Blues seems to be Ohio River south and out west. not to say a Blue can`t live up north.


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