Survival and Growth of Channel Catfish Stocked in Washington Lakes

Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus have resided in the Pacific Northwest for more than 100 years; however, few studies have investigated their efficacy for providing put‐grow‐and‐take sport fisheries in lakes of this region. We stocked channel catfish fingerlings into six Washington lakes containing established warmwater fish populations to evaluate their survival and growth. The survival of channel catfish stocked at 50–200 mm total length (TL) ranged from 0 to 22% (mean survival 9%) 13–15 months following stocking, which was less than that recorded in many other studies. Growth of a group of channel catfish stocked at 151–200 mm TL ranged from 236 to 405 mm 13 months following stocking, which was similar to that in regions farther east and south. With improved survival, possibly by stocking fingerlings longer than 150 mm TL, channel catfish could provide significant recreational opportunities in selected Pacific Northwest lakes.