Flathead Catfish Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Broad, distinctly flattened head unlike the more rounded head of other catfish
• Lower jaw noticeably protrudes past the upper jaw, giving an underbite appearance
• Mottled pattern of yellow-brown, olive, and dark blotches rather than uniform coloration
• Nearly square or slightly rounded tail, not deeply forked
• Small eyes set well forward on the flat head, with a long adipose fin along the back
• Grows to very large sizes, often exceeding 30-40 pounds in good habitat

Common look-alikes

• Blue catfish: pointed head, upper jaw longer than lower (no underbite), deeply forked tail, and uniform slate-blue coloration
• Channel catfish: forked tail, longer upper jaw, and dark spots scattered along the sides in younger fish

Where you'll see one

Flathead catfish favor large, warm rivers with deep pools, log jams, undercut banks, and slow to moderate current where they hide during the day. They are native to the Mississippi, Missouri, and Gulf Coast drainages but have been introduced widely into rivers and reservoirs across the eastern and western United States, sometimes becoming an aggressive predator of native fish where established outside their original range.