Channel catfish were stocked in 16 Alabama state-owned and managed public fishing lakes in an effort to create an additional sport fishery. The catfish harvest was generally low the first year after stocking with 100 catfish fingerlings per acre in an established bass-bluegillredear population. The harvest increased during the second year. The catfish harvest was 54.4 pounds per acre after the first year of fishing in a l00-acre public fishing lake in Alabama which was initially stocked with 100 channel catfish fingerlings per acre in addition to the nonnal stocking rate of bass, bluegill, and redear. White catfish did not appear to contribute as much to the overall catch as channel catfish under the conditions studied. Channel catfish were well received by the fishing public and contributed significantly to the overall catch in Alabama's public fishing lakes.
