Habitat

     The Blue Catfish is found in medium to large sized rivers and tributaries. These fish prefer moving water and deep, cold pools, but can also be found in lakes as well (Benvechio, Bowen, Mitchell and Bythwood 2012). Although these fish are a freshwater species they can also be found in aquatic environments with salinity up to 15 ppt. These waters with some level of salinity are known as brackish waters (Benvechio, Bowen, Mitchell and Bythwood 2012). The geographic range of these fish is quite large. They can be found from the Ohio River basins all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. This includes everywhere in between, such as the Mississippi and Missouri River basisns and even the Alabama River to the Rio Grande (Bonvechio, Bowen, Mitchell and Bythwood 2012).

     Now that you know where the Blue Catfish call home, what about the kind of waters they prefer? Blue Catfish are not picky creatures. But they are found more commonly in flowing waters over mud, sand, or gravel. Although they prefer clear water, is has been found that they are much more active in murky or muddy waters or on dark cloudy days.

Courtesy: United States Geological Survey 2013

Above is a map that shows where in the United States Blue Catfish can be found.