Channel catfish are one of the best fish to catch from ponds as well as to stock in your own private farm.
They are amazing sport fish, tons of fun, and incredibly beneficial to the ecosystem of a pond.
So let’s find out how big channel catfish can get in ponds.
In the average pond, channel catfish will typically be able to reach 7-10 lbs.
With their length being around 25-30 inches.
However, every ponds is different. A super small, shallow pond will restrict channel catfish’s growth, and they will probably only reach around 5 lbs.
And bigger, deeper ponds such as my own, allow these catfish to get upwards of 15 lbs.
The warmer the temperature, the bigger that plants and animals can grow.
That is one reason that states such as Florida, Texas, and Georgia are so popular for sport fishing.
Those warm climates result in bigger catches. The farther south you live, the bigger that the channel catfish can grow in your pond.
The deeper the pond is, the more room the catfish have to grow.
Extra depth allows catfish to stay deep and hidden from potential predators such as birds and turtles.
The deep water also just gives them more range and territory in which they can feed and in turn, grow.
Ponds with a healthy amount of vegetation will result in tons of baitfish and amphibians that the channel catfish can eat.
My pond even has shad, which the channel cats feast on, especially during the winter months.
You shouldn’t expect to catch any record breaking catfish or even catch a true monster.
In my view, any catfish over 6 lbs is a pretty good size catfish for a pond, especially considering that you are fishing from the bank.
The time it takes for a specific channel cat to grow will hugely depend on the body of water and habitat in which it is living.
But when talking about the average pond channel catfish, it will grow about 1 lb per year.
The growth will also get a bit slower each year. Meaning that after 5 or so years, these catfish may only be growing about 1/2 lb per year.
This question is very tricky, because very few catfish will live a full life and die of old age.
About 70% of catfish will be eaten by birds or other fish within their first year of life.
And another 20% will be eaten throughout their next two years.
But if a catfish can survive for three years, there will be very few, if any predators that are big enough to eat it.
For those pond catfish, they can live for about 8-12 years.
The biggest channel catfish that I have ever caught from a pond weighed in at 17 lbs and measured at 34 inches long.
The particular pond that I caught this catfish in was the perfect habitat.
It was a rather big pond and had multiple depth changes and small coves or creeks.
This pond had plenty of baitfish including an almost overpopulation of gizzard shad.
No surprise, I caught the catfish using gizzard shad as bait.
This pond was a dream for catching big channel catfish and was by now means the average pond.
But it does show that channel catfish can grow very big even in ponds.
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