Joe McMullen | MDC Research Portal

Studies of blue catfish and flathead catfish in the Missouri and Mississippi rivers (big rivers) were prompted by concerns from some anglers about overharvest and inadequate harvest regulations. During 2015 to 2019 blue catfish and flathead catfish fisheries on big rivers were evaluated to estimate exploitation and population demographics. Our studies confirmed that current management approaches support healthy and sustainable populations, and regulation changes do not appear to be necessary to prevent overfishing. However, various harvest regulations were modeled to determine their impact on yield and the number of large fish in the population. Opportunities to manage these catfish populations to better meet the desires of some fishers who prefer to catch larger fish (i.e., size favored over yield) were identified. To determine the preferences of big rivers catfish anglers, a public questionnaire and comment period were offered during the summer of 2021. More details about fisheries research, public questionnaires, and the public comment period are provided below in the Big Rivers Catfish Assessment – Project Summary in the Project Papers section.

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Papers and Presentations

Big Rivers Catfish Assessment - Project Summary (PDF, 784 KB)

Studies of blue catfish and flathead catfish in the Missouri and Mississippi rivers (big rivers) were prompted by concerns from some anglers about overharvest and inadequate harvest regulations. During 2015 to 2019 blue catfish and flathead catfish fisheries on big rivers were evaluated to estimate exploitation and population demographics. Our studies confirmed that current management approaches support healthy and sustainable populations, and regulation changes do not appear to be necessary to prevent overfishing, which was not evident. However, various harvest regulations were modeled to determine their impact on yield and the number of large fish in the population. Opportunities to manage these catfish populations to better meet the desires of some fishers who prefer to catch larger fish (i.e., size favored over yield) were identified.

Published on Sep 03, 2019 - by Joe McMullen, Kyle Winders

Big Rivers Flathead Catfish Final Report (PDF, 3 MB)

Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) are native to the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, and support extremely important fisheries on these big rivers. The Missouri River supports a recreational fishery, and the Mississippi River supports both recreational and commercial fisheries. Missouri’s big river, flathead catfish populations have not been intensively managed in the past, and information needed to inform management and regulatory decisions is limiting. Flathead catfish were sampled in the Mississippi and Missouri rivers using low-frequency electrofishing, and these data, along with tag return information, were used to estimate exploitation and other population demographics (e.g., size structure, age and growth, and total annual mortality). Management and regulatory recommendations focus on increasing yield available to fishers and ensuring sustainability of big river, flathead catfish populations.

Published on Jun 01, 2020 - by Joe McMullen, Kyle Winders

BRCA Blue Catfish Final Report (PDF, 4 MB)

Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) are native to the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, and support extremely important fisheries on these big rivers. The Missouri River supports a recreational fishery, and the Mississippi River supports both recreational and commercial fisheries. Missouri’s big river, blue catfish populations have not been intensively researched or managed in the past, and information needed to inform management and regulatory decisions is lacking. Blue catfish were sampled in the Mississippi and Missouri rivers using low-frequency electrofishing, and these data, along with tag return information, were used to estimate exploitation and other population demographics (e.g., size structure, age and growth, and total annual mortality). Management and regulatory recommendations focus on increasing yield available to fishers and ensuring sustainability of big river, blue catfish populations. During 2015 and 2016, a total of 6,639 blue catfish ranging in size from 3-53 inches (76-1,348 mm) total length (TL) were collected from eight study sites. Pectoral spines were aged from 1,874 blue catf

Published on Sep 03, 2019 - by Joe McMullen, Kyle Winders

SN V16 N1 Assessment of Big Rivers Blue and Flathead Catfish Fisheries (PDF, 904 KB)

Blue catfish and flathead catfish support important recreational and commercial fisheries in Missouri. Although most sport anglers do not fish in tournaments or consider themselves trophy anglers, trophy catfish angling and catfish tournaments are increasingly popular. Studies of blue catfish and flathead catfish in the Mississippi and Missouri rivers (big rivers) were prompted by concerns about overharvest of large catfish and inadequate harvest regulations (

Published on Apr 19, 2023 - by Joe McMullen, Kyle Winders

SN V16 N2 Big Rivers Catfish Angler Preference (PDF, 728 KB)

Studies of blue catfish and flathead catfish in the Mississippi and Missouri rivers (big rivers) were prompted by concerns about overharvest of large catfish and inadequate harvest regulations. Opportunities to manage big rivers catfish fisheries to better meet the desires of trophy fishers were identified but regulation changes to prevent overharvest were deemed unnecessary. Therefore, broad public support is needed to justify regulation changes that limit resource use.

Published on Apr 19, 2023 - by Joe McMullen, Kyle Winders