Quick Take
- South Carolina’s largest rod-and-reel blue catfish weighed 113.8 pounds and was caught in Lake Moultrie in 2017.
- An even larger 136-pound blue catfish was pulled from Lake Moultrie on a trotline but did not qualify for the state record.
- Blue catfish are the largest catfish species native to North America and can grow longer than 5 feet.
South Carolina is widely known for its great fishing opportunities. Anglers from all over the state and far beyond enjoy settling in at their favorite spots to pull freshwater and saltwater fish from the waters. This state, nestled along the Atlantic Ocean, has been the site of some truly enormous trophy fish catches. Discover the largest blue catfish ever caught in South Carolina and learn where it was caught and how long ago the angler set the record!
About Blue Catfish
The blue catfish is the largest species of catfish in North America. The fish are native to the Mississippi River drainage basin, but they have been introduced to many other lakes and rivers throughout the United States. The species has been widely introduced outside its native range and now occurs in numerous states across the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and beyond.
These ray-finned fish can weigh anywhere from 25 to 150 pounds while growing between 24 inches and 65 inches. Despite their name, the fish can appear from a silvery-blue to an olive color along their sides with a white bottom. They are known for having deeply forked tails, flat dorsal fins, and four pairs of barbels near their mouths.
These fish prefer to live in the main channels of medium and large rivers, along with large impoundments with a current and some depth to them. They prefer areas with sand, gravel, or mud bottoms…