Channel Catfish Being Restocked In Chelan County After 10-Year Hiatus

Anglers in Chelan County can now catch channel catfish for the first time in over a decade.

The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) has resumed its channel catfish stocking program after a ten-year absence.

Channel catfish are a non-indigenous species that were first introduced to the waters of Washington in Skagit County in 1892. After which, the species became popular for both sport and commercial fishing at various lakes and streams throughout the state.

By the mid-1990s, stocks of channel catfish had diminished across the state, with the most recent attempt at reviving their numbers dating back to 2014, when efforts to do so encountered logistical challenges related to transporting the fish from hatcheries in Arkansas over 2,200 miles away.

Earlier this year, the WDFW located a much closer supplier of channel catfish out of Challis, Idaho, which reduced the logistical hurdles and costs for stocking over 50 lakes, ponds, and reservoirs in Washington.

This spring, the WDFW planted 12,400 channel catfish at a cost of $55,000, and plans call for another 30,000 fish to be stocked in 2025 at a cost of $100,000, with another 50,000 fish in additional bodies of water at a cost of $133,000 in 2026.

Locally, approximately 1,600 channel catfish have been planted in Roses Lake near Manson, and thousands more have also been stocked in Eastern Washington counties such as Benton (Columbia Park Pond), Okanogan (Whitestone Lake and Washburn Island Pond), Spokane (Liberty Lake), and Yakima (numerous small ponds).

Efforts are also underway to restock channel catfish populations in Adams, Franklin, Grant, and Lincoln Counties over the next two years.

The program to stock channel catfish operates under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) to ensure compliance with non-native game fish and fisheries policies to avoid conflicts with native fish species.

Fishing guidelines in Washington require anglers to be a minimum age of 15 years and have a valid fishing license to catch channel catfish. Current regulations allow for a daily catch limit of five channel catfish, although some lakes have a two-fish limit, and there are no limits on the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima Rivers.

Channel catfish are well known for their longevity and size, living up to 20 years and growing to lengths of over 30 inches, while weighing more than 30 pounds.