The summer-night fish of the Basin. Liver, cut mackerel, and patience. Seven county park lakes have a tighter bag than the 10-fish Southern District limit.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Deeper, slower water in reservoirs and the warm urban lakes CDFW and counties plant with cats.
T14 CCR §5.15: bullheads have no limit; in the Southern District, which includes all of LA County, the catfish limit is 10, except a five-catfish bag at: Alondra, Belvedere, Cerritos Regional Park, Earvin Magic Johnson, John Anson Ford, Kenneth Hahn, and La Mirada. Castaic, Puddingstone, and Santa Fe Dam are not on that five-fish list, so the 10-fish limit applies there.
Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) are grey to olive with scattered dark spots on younger fish, long barbels and a deeply forked tail. Bullheads have square tails; flathead catfish, found at Santa Fe Dam, have flattened heads and a squarish tail.
The LA County planting schedule for that period included catfish at El Dorado Park, La Mirada, John Anson Ford, Legg Lakes, Alondra, Downey Wilderness Park, Santa Fe Reservoir, Cerritos, MacArthur Park Lake, Hansen Dam, Belvedere, Kenneth Hahn and Echo Park Lake. Castaic Lake and Pyramid Lake were not on that planting list, but OEHHA's advisories for both reservoirs include catfish, so they are present there.
Open year-round. Summer evenings are classic catfish time. In 2025–26 CDFW's LA County catfish plants were spread from October through September, with most of them between May and September.
OEHHA advice for catfish varies a lot: Castaic Lake (channel catfish), 0 servings a week for women 18–49 and children and 1 for women 50+ and men; Pyramid Lake, 1 servings a week for women 18–49 and children and 2 for women 50+ and men; Santa Fe Dam (channel and flathead), 1 servings a week for women 18–49 and children and 2 for women 50+ and men; Magic Johnson Lakes, 2 servings a week for women 18–49 and children and 7 for women 50+ and men; Legg Lake (channel catfish), 5 servings a week for women 18–49 and children and 5 for women 50+ and men. Elsewhere, OEHHA's statewide lake advisory says women 18–49 and children should not eat catfish, and others should eat no more than 1 serving a week.
LA County is in the Southern District, where the limit is 10 catfish per day. The exceptions are 5 catfish per day at Alondra County Park Lake, Belvedere Park Lake, Cerritos Regional Park Lake, Earvin Magic Johnson County Park Lake, John Anson Ford Park Lake, Kenneth Hahn Regional Park Lake and La Mirada Regional Park Lake. Bullheads have no limit.
Read the park sign. The five-fish list is specific; do not assume every urban lake is on it.
California inland species regs — catfish §5.15 →
Independent-site disclaimer: this summary is for orientation only and can change in-season. Confirm with CDFW before you keep a fish. Fish in LA is not affiliated with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
10 per day in the Southern District, except 5 per day at seven listed county park lakes.
Alondra, Belvedere, Cerritos, Magic Johnson, John Anson Ford, Kenneth Hahn and La Mirada park lakes.
In 2025–26, El Dorado, La Mirada, Legg, Santa Fe, Cerritos, MacArthur, Hansen Dam, Belvedere, Kenneth Hahn, Echo Park and others.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Rules, stocking and access change; confirm with the agency linked above before you go.
