The catfish fishery is becoming much more of a challenge for the KDFWR. There is beginning to be a little friction between the different groups of catfish anglers using the river and the department needs more information in order to better manage the resource and keep everyone happy. The river is utilized by casual weekend anglers, serious sport and tournament anglers, as well as commercial anglers looking to sell their catch.

Sampling did not yield a lot of big fish, but it did show a wide range of age groups. Channel cats were caught to near 30 inches and one blue was sampled at 36 1/2 inches. Age structure was sampled up to 16 years. So far, studies indicate the fishery in the river is doing well for all species of catfish.

LAKE MALONE
Catfish are not intensely sampled at Lake Malone by the KDFWR. In fact, the last creel survey results are from 1999. However, biologist David Bell said, "Overall, it's a pretty good fishery."

Malone has been stocked with catfish every year since 1961 except 1997 due to a flood at the hatchery that year. It is one of the larger lakes being stocked with catfish. It's a popular lake for catfish anglers, so the department tries to supplement the natural fishery there.

Bell said the rate of stocking has been cut back from what it was in the past. The KDFWR was stocking around 25 fish per acre, but that number has been cut back to about 12.5 fish per acre or around 10,000 fish per year. The lake was stocked heavily in 1995, 1996 and 1998 to the tune of around 20,000 fish per year.

Although there are fewer fish being stocked, the released fish are bigger now than before. In past years, the catfish ranged between 6 and 8 inches. Now the fish are stocked at 7 to 12 inches. There is a 12-inch minimum size limit on catfish at Malone, which helps protect these young fish and allows them time to grow.

Bell said Malone's main catfish fishery consists of channel cats and there are also a few flatheads along with both black and yellow bullheads. However, there aren't enough of the latter varieties for anglers to specifically target them.

The contour of Lake Malone makes it interesting to fish. Bell described it as "shaped like a bathtub." The bottom contour comes out from the shoreline a short ways, drops off sharply, and then goes across the bulk of the lake as flat as a board. Both the upper and lower ends of the lake have basically the same contour; only the end near the dam is deeper.

As mentioned, catfishing is very popular at Malone, especially through June and July. Anglers use many fishing methods to take whiskerfish. Bank-fishing, boating, as well as jugs and limb lines, are all common methods used at the lake.

Bell said anglers can find good fishing throughout the lake, although the lower end might be just a little better than the upper. The embayments off the main lake can be good also.

DEWEY LAKE
Both flathead and channel catfish have done well for a long time at Dewey Lake, according to biologist Kevin Frey. He said spawning and recruitment have been good for several years and the lake is very popular with catfish anglers. This popularity results in a heavy annual harvest of catfish.

Although the catfish populations there are self-sustaining, the lake has been occasionally stocked with channel cats. During some years, the hatchery has reared more fish than needed for the farm pond stocking program and Dewey received the surplus fish. The lake was stocked with between 50,000 and 60,000 fish in 1996, 1999 and 2003.