# Best catfish lake in our area?



## Bostonwhaler10

In your opinion if you will say, what is the best catfish lake in our area?


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## Flathead King 06

For number I would have to say a big toss up between GLSM and Indian. Never been up there and not caught anywhere from 50-100 during the right times, not many over 5lb though. As for size, I would say probably CJ. It has a lot of channels in it that are eager to bite, plus they range anywhere from 1lb to 20lb... the average is around 3-8lbs


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## Lowell H Turner

Have personally seen and helped weigh a 28 pd blue cat at CJ, and lent a measuring tape used on a 50+" flathead. Am NOT saying that more than a few are that big but likely they ARE in there; good luck finding them and may I "suggest" going with the HEAVY tackle...


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## timmyv

"Have personally seen and helped weigh a 28 pd blue cat at CJ"


Do you have pics. There are no Blue Cats in CJ??????


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## 9Left

Flathead king is right...Indian and St Mary's always seem to have an abundance of cats that are fairly easy to catch..ive very seldom caught em over 5/6 pounds though..but youll be busy all day or night there when they're biting.


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## sc83

my bets on cj. always catching them there.


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## Salmonid

Most of the lakes in SW region are good catfish lakes but it all depends on what your looking for, ( regarding Channels) if numbers are your game.. then CJ, Indian, Loramie and GLSM is where you need to be fishing...... I would disagree with Flathead King about the channels at CJ though, they are numorous and faily small on the average ( 1-2 lbs) and yes, there are some bigger fish but Im looking at an average. If size is what your after regarding channels, Id look at some of the smaller lakes like Kiser, Acton, Eastwood and Rocky Fork, in these lakes your talking about less fish but a bigger average size. A lake Id stay away from is Ceasers Creek because it drops into really deep water so fast that the cats are hard to find outside of the spring when there on the banks. East Fork and Ceasers both harbor a decent population of Flatheads as does Rocky Fork. 
If your looking for lakes that fall into the middle of the spectrum, Id look at Paint Creek, Deer Creek and Cowan.

Whats interesting is that Eastwood lake is a sleeper, it is the only lake in the region where if you catch 6 fish, they may be from 6 different year classes, thats kinda cool as most lakes in the SW area seem to have an average size where 3/4th of what you catch with be all the same size. 

Since Ive tourney fished most of the lakes over the last 10 years, I have a good feel about average sizes and what not. 

Someone mentioned no big fish at GLSM but last year in our tournament series of 8 tourneys, in 6 of them we took fish between 9-11 lbs and had 2nd biggest fish about 3 times.LOL Saw an honest 15 lber taken in one of the tourneys and the bait shop has a verified 16 lber they weighed in a picture. It always takes about 40-44 lbs with 6 fish to place at these tourneys so thats about 7+ lb average. GLSM is a quality lake and the catfishing just gets better each year according to the average weights of the tourneys up there. I might add that we have taken some very nice channels at Loramie too. 

If anyone wants more specific info about a certain lake send me a PM.

Salmonid


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## catmando

I agree with salmonoid. CC is a waste of time and has limited opportunity for cats.

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## Doctor

Because I mainly fish CJ Brown when not fishing the river it rates high by me, but I think that Rocky Fork is a sleeper lake that has huge channels in it, love fishing down there when it is cold and only fishermen on the water no jetski's or pleasure boaters.

Cowan is awesome also huge channels in that lake, I really enjoy GLSM and Indian if your wanting to put numbers in the boat, still again have seen some great fish come out of there but never from my boat.

Haven't fished Eastwood in years so I'll go with what Mark is saying, CC back in the 90's it was outstanding I spent a lot of time on that water with my first boat, but have never been back, now that I'm getting older and the gas prices keep rising I seem to travel less and less each year, I'll be fishing CJ Brown a lot this year on my days off during the week, so I'll be posting a lot of reports from that lake................Doc


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## saugmon

Indian has a ton of cats in there.I'll catch over a 100+ keeper size every trolling season.The ones we catch trolling cranks are usually 2#-4# range.There was a mega hatch of channels a couple years ago and I saw thousands of dead floating 6" cats everywhere.Last season we threw away a ton in the 12"-14" range.

The flatties they stocked several years are getting big. Caught half a dozen between 4#-11.5# trolling. These are all acidental cats and we're not targeting them but they are tearing up crawdad pattern bombers.


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## Flathead King 06

saugmon said:


> The flatties they stocked several years are getting big. Caught half a dozen between 4#-11.5# trolling.


Didn't know the DNR stocked flatheads... anyone have any info?


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## Bostonwhaler10

Someone was telling me brookeville lake has a lot of cats and they get big, anyone have anyluck there.


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## TomC

The flats we not stocked by the state, they were paylake catches that individuals put in there. Indian lake use to have a huge bullhead population, not anymore, they started to vanish about 3 years ago. They have done very well reproducing ive caught em anywhere from 2lbs up to 15lbs. 

Indian lake is the lake i mainly fish. Its got channels of all sizes my personal best 13.5lb, i had one that was 33" long but didnt have a scale at the time. 

I have fished acton and kiser a few times. Kiser is an odd lake it seems like the average channel cat is 4+lbs or bigger, ive yet to catch any dinks except for the occasional bullhead. Acton is the same except for its alot deeper than kiser, plus you have have a boat with a motor!


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## trailbreaker

miami white water forest


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## Bostonwhaler10

trailbreaker said:


> miami white water forest


Really, where do you fish for them there. I've only fished for bass at mww, and have you caught any that had size?


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## Lowell H Turner

timmyv, worked at the Marina bait shop for 3 yrs. Have fished CJ since 1976. Also knew Otis Kirby who owned and operated "Beaver Pay Lakes" at the far end of Old Reid Park. Before he passed on in 2007, he told me that he was paid to stock the Reid Golf Course "lake" (former gravel pit) and the privately owned gravel pit that was just NW of where the Marina is now plus 2 ponds on the W side of Buck Creek approx. due W of the Campground were all stocked by the property owners prior to 1962. He put channels, flatheads, blues, bass, and various panfish into them, the Golf Course lake several times. Tom Weigel the former Park biologist examined 2 donated fish; he counted the anal fin rays and a couple other distinctive features and was positive that those 2 fish were in fact blue catfish.


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## trailbreaker

Bostonwhaler10 said:


> Really, where do you fish for them there. I've only fished for bass at mww, and have you caught any that had size?


never fished for cats there... i try for bass haven't caught none since 07


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## spfldbassguy

For me its CJ for numbers and some size. I've caught nice cats at Acton and Kiser on bass jigs (never truly fished for cats at either place). CJ is super close and there's bullheads,channels, blues, & flatheads. Just a matter of what species you want to catch. 

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## Lowell H Turner

My bet is on Doc or Salmonid finally "connecting" with 1 of the few remaining pre- CJ bruisers; THAT will decisively end any doubts...


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## Salmonid

Lowell, I hope your right, heck Id like to see DOC find a stray 50+ lber while expecting a 1 lber, LOL. W e just need some good pics to make me a believer...

Salmonid


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## weekend angler

Bostonwhaler10 said:


> Really, where do you fish for them there. I've only fished for bass at mww, and have you caught any that had size?



A friend of mine has caught blues in the 30 to 40 lb area with pics in the baithouse. They used to hold tourneys for them not sure if still do.

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## LeeWoolery

Lowell H Turner said:


> Have personally seen and helped weigh a 28 pd blue cat at CJ, and lent a measuring tape used on a 50+" flathead. Am NOT saying that more than a few are that big but likely they ARE in there; good luck finding them and may I "suggest" going with the HEAVY tackle...


Hey Lowell:

...was that flathead you measured at CJ over 60 pounds...in your estimation? 

I do remember someone telling me that there was a gravel quarry and ponds flooded when the area was dammed up in '74 that might have been stocked with bigger catfish.

One of my friends fishes for crappies and walleyes at CJ all the time and they had been catching smaller blue cats and nice channels.

He asked me if the blues were stocked in there and I said I didn't know?


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## BassBoss

I have to say I have seen a things at Hoover you can laugh but I found the skull of a flatty that was atleast 70 lbs no joke it was the size of my entire head


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## zack2345

I'm goin to have to say Miami whitewater is the best cat lake around. . . I mostly fish it for bass but I know the tournaments they have there some one always catches one over 25 pounds. . . Usually many cats over 50 every season. . . They even hit my crank baits while I'm fishin for bass. I see a lot of guys fishin the bank across from the boat house. Good luck


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## Lowell H Turner

The flathead that lent the measuring tape for am certain the guy later said went 50+, almost 60 lb. It was weighted at Beaver Pay Lake. I remember it was simply THE biggest fresh water fish I`d ever seen upto that point in my life, and was stunned it came out of CJ. It REALLY opened my eyes...was caught off the gravel bar NW of the Marina supposedly on a 1 pd shad...As far as the old gravel pits, the best that can figure is they were dug in the late 40`s into the early 50`s. Am certain Otis Kirby stated he remembered stocking the Golf Course lake in 1955. He couldn`t remember when he 1st stocked the others...assuming a 5 pd flathead went in in 1955 AND survived, that fish is now at least 58 yrs old. What would be a realistic weight I have NO idea, but 5 pd bass would likely be VERY afraid...


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## LeeWoolery

Lowell H Turner said:


> The flathead that lent the measuring tape for am certain the guy later said went 50+, almost 60 lb. It was weighted at Beaver Pay Lake. I remember it was simply THE biggest fresh water fish I`d ever seen upto that point in my life, and was stunned it came out of CJ. It REALLY opened my eyes...was caught off the gravel bar NW of the Marina supposedly on a 1 pd shad...As far as the old gravel pits, the best that can figure is they were dug in the late 40`s into the early 50`s. Am certain Otis Kirby stated he remembered stocking the Golf Course lake in 1955. He couldn`t remember when he 1st stocked the others...assuming a 5 pd flathead went in in 1955 AND survived, that fish is now at least 58 yrs old. What would be a realistic weight I have NO idea, but 5 pd bass would likely be VERY afraid...


Lowell:

Thanks a million on the info on the fish and lake history...my brother lives 5 minutes from the CJ Brown and I know there are some great spots for bank fishing at the upper end of the lake.

The veteran fisherman always said there are some giants in that lake.


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## SeanStone

Rocky fork is by far our best lake for sizeable channel cats. The average is probably somewhere around 6.5 to 7lbs. We catch a 10 pound channel every other trip. As far as flatheads go for rocky fork, dont waste your time. You'll spend a hundred hours before getting one. If you wanna catch a flathead where i fish, your best bet is to fish a large creek or a river.


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## VBowler

There are usually sever Flatheads over 30lbs caught at Rocky Fork Lake Every year. And the Channel Cats are as said larger on average than most. For the Last 2 years I have run the Early Season Catfish Tournament at Rocky Fork Lake and will be doing so again this year. Each year it usually take a fish over 12 lbs to get big fish. In tournaments me and Salmonid have taken sever al over 12 lbs. 

Also There are alot of large Flatheads that come out of the Spillway at Paint Creek. Most range in the 20-40 lb range.


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## YakKat drifter

BassBoss said:


> I have to say I have seen a things at Hoover you can laugh but I found the skull of a flatty that was atleast 70 lbs no joke it was the size of my entire head
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I can back that up Hoover has huge blues and flathead in this area #1lake Erie #Ohio river #3hoover


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