Tennessee may be known for its music, food, and spirits, but the state’s great outdoors are amazing too. Residents and visitors alike love to fish when they come to this part of the United States. One of the most popular fish people try to catch in this state is the channel catfish. These potentially large fish are fun to catch and great to eat. Discover the largest channel catfish ever caught in Tennessee and see how it measures up to other state-record fish and even a bulldog!
About the Channel Catfish Species
The channel catfish is the official commercial fish of Tennessee. These creatures usually measure between 15 and 24 inches long. At those lengths, they usually weigh somewhere between 3 and 5 pounds, but they can get much longer and heavier than that.
This species has gray and olive bodies along with a pale white belly. They may have small dark spots on their sides. They are known for having eight barbels around their mouths, tails with very deep forks in them, and larger eyes than other catfish species.
Channel catfish are freshwater fish that live in ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers. They tend to be bottom feeders that feast on other fish, crustaceans, and some insects. Channel catfish like to stay in deeper water during the day, but they’ll swim into shallower waters to feed during the nighttime.
What was the Largest Channel Catfish Ever Caught in Tennessee?
At 41 pounds, the largest channel catfish was a lake monster!
©Aleron Val/Shutterstock.com
The largest channel catfish ever caught in Tennessee weighed 41 pounds, and it was caught by a man named Clint Walters, Jr. He caught the fish in Fall Creek Falls Lake on July 30, 1982. The fish was an amazing 54 inches long, but we do not know the fish’s girth. Photographic evidence of the fish and the angler is available online, so people can see just how large the fish was relative to the man that caught it.
Was the Record Catfish in Tennessee the Largest in the World?
Lake Moultrie is home to several record-setting fish catches.
©iStock.com/brianjhudson
No, the largest channel catfish ever caught in Tennessee was not the world record. The world record for the largest channel catfish belongs to W.H. Whaley of South Carolina. He caught the record specimen in 1964, and it weighed 58 pounds, measured 47.25 inches long, and had a girth of 30 inches!
He pulled the catfish from the famous Lake Moultrie, a lake known for being the site where the largest blue catfish in the state was caught. That fish weighed 113.8 pounds!
So, while the record-setting catfish in Tennessee was longer than the world record channel catfish, it was 17 pounds lighter.
Where Is Fall Creek Falls Lake?
Fall Creek Falls Lake is located in the Fall Creek Falls State Park, an area measuring about 30,000 acres. The state park is located in both Bledsoe and Van Buren counties, and it is famous for being the home of the tallest waterfall in Tennessee. This state park is in the eastern-central part of the state.
Fall Creek Falls Lake measures about 350 acres in size, and it is a prime place to catch fish. Some of the fish anglers catch in the lake include:
- Bluegill
- Channel catfish
- Largemouth bass
- Trout
These are just a few of the most popular fish available in the waters. The largest channel catfish ever caught in Tennessee as well as the largest bluegill both came from this lake. The state park may not be the most obvious place to look for record-setting fish, but it is hiding some very large fish in its depths.
The lake is more than a place for people to fish, though. Many people come to go boating, hiking, camping, and swimming in the area.
What Other Fish Do People Catch in Tennessee?
Largemouth bass are prevalent in the waters of Tennessee
©Pierre Rebollar/Shutterstock.com
Tennessee has plenty of different species of fish that anglers seek out. Some of them are prized for their size and others are sought because they are good to eat. Some of the best fish to catch in Tennessee include:
- Catfish
- Largemouth bass
- Smallmouth bass
- Rainbow trout
- Crappie
- Striped bass
- Northern pike
- Sauger
- Flathead catfish
- Yellow perch
The waters of Tennessee yield all sorts of fish. Many different lakes have exceptional opportunities to catch fish. Some of the bodies of water are remote while others have all sorts of lodging and amenities nearby. There is something for everyone, and that’s part of what makes fishing in Tennessee so special.
Comparing the Largest Channel Catfish to a Bulldog
The average bulldog weighs between 40 and 55 pounds.
©Danita Delimont/Shutterstock.com
The title of this article says that the largest channel catfish ever caught in Tennessee was the size of a bulldog. So, how do they compare? Well, the catfish was 41 pounds and 54 inches long. Meanwhile, bulldogs can weigh between 40 and 55 pounds on average, and they grow about 20 to 30 inches long. That means the catfish was about the size of an average bulldog.
All in all, the biggest channel catfish caught in Tennessee was a very large representative of its species. However, it was not the largest caught in the U.S. Yet, the fact that this catfish came close means that there could be a record-setting fish waiting in the depths for some skilled angler to take.
