Channel Catfish fishing in Central Utah
25 waters in the DWR Central region hold channel catfish — 19 with live data, 2 rated Prime or Good right now.
Quick tactics for channel catfish
Whisker-guided scent feeders that cruise soft bottoms after dark. Utah Lake and Willard Bay grow them past 20 pounds, and half the community ponds in the state hold them. Set up on a windblown shoreline, get bait on the bottom, and wait.
Cut bait (carp or white bass), nightcrawlers, shrimp, stink baits, chicken liver.
- Carolina-rigged cut bait on the bottom, rod in a holder
- Slip-bobber rigs drifted along riprap during the spawn
- Fresh cut white bass at Utah Lake — the local cheat code
- Circle hooks so fish hook themselves (and release clean)
Full seasonal guide to channel catfish →
Fishing best right now
- Kidney PondGood
- Midas PondGood
All 25 channel catfish waters in central Utah
| Water | Right now | Flow / level | Water temp | Stocked | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kidney Pond | Good | — | stocked 6d ago | brook trout, channel catfish, rainbow trout, … | |
| Midas Pond | Good | — | stocked 6d ago | largemouth bass, brook trout, channel catfish, … | |
| Fairmont Park Pond | Fair | — | stocked 12d ago | channel catfish, rainbow trout, wiper (white × striped bass hybrid) | |
| Sandy Community Fishery | Fair | — | stocked 3w ago | largemouth bass, channel catfish, cutthroat trout, … | |
| Willow Park PondCommunity | Fair | — | stocked 4d ago | rainbow trout, channel catfish | |
| Riverton Pond | Fair | — | stocked 11d ago | channel catfish, rainbow trout, bluegill, … | |
| Spanish Oaks PondCommunity | Fair | — | stocked 3w ago | rainbow trout, channel catfish | |
| Dmad Reservoir | Tough | 33% full | — | stocked 18mo ago | channel catfish, walleye |
| Provo Delta Community Fishery | Tough | — | stocked 3mo ago | channel catfish, rainbow trout, bluegill, … | |
| Spring LakeCommunity | Tough | — | stocked 8w ago | rainbow trout, channel catfish | |
| Stansbury Lake | Tough | — | stocked 13mo ago | channel catfish | |
| Gunnison Bend Reservoir | Tough | 7% full | — | stocked 6mo ago | channel catfish, walleye, wiper (white × striped bass hybrid) |
| Manila Creek Park PondCommunity | Tough | — | stocked 8w ago | rainbow trout, channel catfish | |
| Yuba Reservoir (Sevier Bridge) | Tough | 3% full | — | stocked 4mo ago | channel catfish, tiger trout (brown × brook hybrid), rainbow trout, … |
| Cove Pond | — | stocked 8w ago | largemouth bass, brown trout, channel catfish, … | ||
| Millrace Park Pond | — | stocked 6mo ago | channel catfish, rainbow trout, bluegill, … | ||
| Pole Canyon Park Pond | — | stocked 4mo ago | channel catfish, rainbow trout, tiger trout (brown × brook hybrid), … | ||
| Riverfront Pond | — | stocked 6mo ago | channel catfish, rainbow trout, wiper (white × striped bass hybrid) | ||
| Sunset Pond | — | stocked 5mo ago | largemouth bass, channel catfish, rainbow trout, … | ||
| Willow Creek Pond | — | stocked 3mo ago | largemouth bass, channel catfish, rainbow trout, … | ||
| Highland Glen Park PondCommunity | Warning | — | stocked 3d ago | rainbow trout, channel catfish | |
| Jordan River | Warning | 25 cfs | — | stocked 13mo ago | channel catfish, white bass, largemouth bass |
| Salem PondCommunity | Warning | — | stocked 3d ago | rainbow trout, channel catfish, bluegill | |
| Utah Lake | Danger | 54% stored pool | — | stocked 3d ago | white bass, channel catfish, walleye, … |
| Canyon View Park Pond | Drained | — | stocked 4mo ago | channel catfish, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, … |