New Pennsylvania regulations will help protect blue catfish and
trophy flatheads in the Ohio River Basin beginning in 2027.

River Rumors: Pennsylvania Protects Ohio River Catfish

Source: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

Pennsylvania is taking steps to protect two of the Ohio River’s premier catfish species with new fishing regulations that take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Under the new rules, all blue catfish caught in Pennsylvania’s portion of the Ohio River Basin must be released immediately. The regulation is designed to help restore blue catfish, which disappeared from the state’s waters more than a century ago. Since 2022, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has stocked about 15,000 young blue catfish each year as part of a 15-year restoration program.

New limits also will protect flathead catfish. Anglers may keep up to four flatheads per day, but only one may be 35 inches or longer. The four-fish possession limit also applies to anglers on overnight trips.

Biologists say flathead catfish grow very slowly and can live for decades. A 2-foot flathead is often around 15 years old, while a 35-inch fish may be 30 years old. During recent surveys, biologists found flatheads as old as 52 years.

The new regulations replace the previous rule that treated catfish as panfish, allowing anglers to keep up to 50 fish per day with no size restrictions. Fisheries officials believe the old limits could have threatened both the developing blue catfish population and the trophy flathead fishery.

Pennsylvania’s new flathead regulations also match those already in place in neighboring Ohio and West Virginia, helping create consistent management throughout the Ohio River watershed.

Officials noted that most catfish anglers already practice catch and release, but they believe these regulations will help ensure healthy populations of both species for years to come.