New Indiana Catfishing Rules Approved

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Fishermen looking to reel in a catfish from Indiana's waterways need to be aware of some rule changes that will go into effect soon. The Indiana Natural Resources Commission on Tuesday gave final approval to rule changes that govern commercial fishing and sport fishing for catfish. The new rules raise the minimum size on catfish from 10 to 13 inches and limit the number of large catfish that can be taken. Specifically, each fisherman can take no more than one catfish per day. Channel catfish considered a "keeper" must be at least 28 inches long, blue catfish at least 35 inches long, and flathead catfish at least 35 inches long. RELATED: 5,000+ Pounds Of Catfish Caught At Ohio Valley River Cats 2015 The changes apply to both commercial fishing and sport fishing on lakes, reservoirs, streams, and rivers, including the Ohio River. The DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife proposed the changes in order to increase survival of younger catfish and ensure continued large or “trophy” catfish opportunities for both sport and commercial fishing. Larger catfish also have higher reproductive potential and can help control populations of forage species such as gizzard shad and Asian carp. The Commission granted preliminary approval to the rule changes in November, after a public comment period that included one public hearing. The rule changes will not be in effect until approved by the Attorney General’s Office and Governor’s Office and published in the Indiana Register.