the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the blue catfish
how to recognize it
Robust body, scaleless, blue-gray to lead-gray on the back and white on the belly, without spots. Four pairs of barbels and a deeply forked tail. The anal fin is long, with a straight edge (30 to 36 rays). The channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) has dark spots as juveniles and medium-sized fish, and a shorter, rounded anal fin.
Also called: bagre-azul, blue catfish
don't confuse with:
where found
open on the large mapWhere to look: Main channels and eddies of medium and large rivers, and deep parts of reservoirs, over mud, sand and gravel, with clear water and current.
Not found in Brazil. Native to the Mississippi basin and the Gulf of Mexico slope (USA) to the Rio Grande and Mexico. The Mexican inland waters standard cites it in reservoirs in Chihuahua (such as Luis L. León) and Chiapas.
when to fish
best season
Fishable all year; the warm months are best. Watch for state closures, such as Chihuahua's from April to June.
best time of day
Night and twilight. Feeds mainly from dusk until before dawn, when it rises from deep holes into the current and shallows. During the day it stays on the bottom.
what affects the blue catfish
cold and cold fronts
Tolerates cold water better than other catfish and feeds in winter, more slowly.
atmospheric pressure
Moderate effect; stable weather is best.
moon
Dark nights tend to be better in shallow water.
rain
Rain that increases the current triggers feeding.
water level
Rising water with current brings fish to river mouths and dam outflows.
noise
Not very sensitive on the bottom, but avoid knocking the hull over the hole.
wind
Wind that pushes water toward one shore concentrates small fish and catfish there.
depth
From 5 to 20 m by day; from 2 to 6 m at night, on shoals and channel edges.
how to fish
lures
- rarely used
natural baits
- pieces of fresh, oily fish (tilapia, carp, sardine)
- chicken liver
- in Mexico, live fish as bait is prohibited in inland waters
tip from an angler
Use fresh cut bait and a circle hook: leave the rod in the holder and only reel in when the rod bends firmly, without jerking.
- rod
- 7' to 8', heavy action, 20 to 50 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 5000 to 8000 or round baitcasting reel with a ratchet
- line
- monofilament 30 to 50 lb or braided line 50 to 80 lb
- leader
- monofilament 50 to 80 lb, 50 cm
- hook
- circle hook 5/0 to 10/0
accessories
- sliding sinker of 60 to 150 g
- rod holder
- headlamp
catch and release
Heavy fish: support the belly with both hands, watch out for the spines of the dorsal and pectoral fins. Release it in the water, holding it until it swims off on its own.
rules for the blue catfish
Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Mexico: up to 5 freshwater fish per day, no live fish as bait
5 fish per angler per day details
In Mexico's federal-jurisdiction inland waters, the limit is 5 fish per angler per day, with one rod in use per angler. Using live fish as bait in inland waters is banned, and fish caught in sport fishing may not be sold. Each reservoir's committee may reduce the bag limit and set sizes.
Mexico: catfish at least 34 cm
34 cm (total length) details
For all catfish of the family Ictaluridae, including the blue catfish (bagre azul or puyón), the minimum catch size is 340 mm total length, except in the reservoirs listed in Annex 1 of the standard, which have their own size (in Luis L. León reservoir, Chihuahua, 320 mm).
Source: NOM-060-SAG/PESC-2014, item 4.3.4 and Annex 1, item IV.V, DOF May 27, 2014
Chihuahua (MX): catfish closed season, Apr 2 to Jun 25
fishing prohibited from April 2 to June 2502/04 to 25/06 details
In federally governed waters of the state of Chihuahua, fishing for blue catfish and channel catfish (Ictalurus furcatus and I. punctatus) is prohibited from April 2 to June 25 each year. It applies only in Chihuahua.
Conservation: Outside its native range, in the USA, it is considered an invasive species in Atlantic coast rivers.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
estimated weight
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how we calculate
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00513, b = 3.12; FishBase). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
more about the blue catfish
Catfish of large rivers and reservoirs in the Mississippi basin, from the Gulf slope to the Rio Grande and Mexico. It prefers clear water with current in the main channels and the deep parts of reservoirs, over mud, sand or gravel. It spends the day on the bottom in deep areas and at night moves up into the current to feed on invertebrates, mussels and fish; the big ones are almost entirely fish-eaters. The male digs the nest under logs or banks and guards the eggs. In Mexico it occurs in reservoirs in Chihuahua and Chiapas and is commercially fished. For sport anglers it is a heavy fish with a long, slow fight, caught on natural bait left still on the bottom.
Family: Ictaluridae · predator
fun facts
- It is the largest catfish in North America: FishBase records up to 165 cm and 68 kg.
- It was introduced into basins on the Atlantic slope of the USA, where it became a problem for native fish.
in the kitchen
White, firm flesh; fried, breaded or in stew. Medium-sized fish are the best for the table.
similar species
sources and references (6)
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
- scientific FishBase — Ictalurus furcatus (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship, country list and references. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Ictalurus furcatus (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 20/02/2012)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- technical CABI Compendium — Ictalurus furcatus (blue catfish). Siriwardena, S. N. (2012).Species data sheet. DOI checked in Crossref.
- official DOF — NOM-060-SAG/PESC-2014, Pesca responsável em corpos de água continentais de jurisdição federal do México (publicada em 27/05/2014)Minimum sizes by family (item 4.3), sport fishing rules (4.7) and each reservoir's rules in Annex 1.
- official DOF — Acordo que estabelece épocas e zonas de veda para a pesca de diferentes espécies em águas continentais de jurisdição federal do México (31/03/2010)Article one, sections II, VI, VIII and IX. Text checked in the FAOLEX copy (faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/mex94126.pdf). In 2012, an agreement changed the Zimapán dates for that year only.
- official DOF — Modificação da NOM-017-PESC-1994, para regular a pesca deportivo-recreativa em águas de jurisdição federal do México (publicada em 25/11/2013)Daily limits at sea (item 4.9.1) and in fresh water (4.9.2), one rod in inland waters (4.6 b), ban on live fish as bait in inland waters (4.7 c) and on fishing in closed areas and seasons (4.10).
how we calculatewhere each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: