# Huron River Channel Catfishing



## Swampbuckster (Nov 28, 2010)

Just thinking of the warmer weather soon to come (Hard to believe that currently) and was curious if anyone else targets channel cats along the Huron, particularly between FR and Erie. I made a trip last spring for a day and had a blast. I think we boated fifteen to twenty fish with one pushing around 12lbs or so. I'm planning on putting a few trips in this spring after I'm done on the Detroit river doing the jigging thing. I was curious about flatheads. Has anyone ever come across them on the H? I was going to try to target them as well to see if any exist.


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## scooter_trasher (Sep 19, 2005)

how much pressure do you think they can take?


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## Swampbuckster (Nov 28, 2010)

scooter_trasher said:


> how much pressure do you think they can take?


Oh, shoot. I don't know what secret fishery I just gave away. Are you responding to the top secret walleye run in the Detroit river? Or the well stocked and naturally reproducing channel cat fishery that exists throughout the entire Huron River watershed? Unless your talking about hydraulic pressure with this high water. If that's the case, I never thought of that, hope they survive.


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## MISTURN3 (Jan 3, 2012)

I have seen several caught at the little boat launch off S Huron as well as Labo Park.......don't fish for em myself but they are there......watched a guy fishing for silver bass a few years back that caught about an 6-8# and he was actually dancing he was so happy......made his day.


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## scooter_trasher (Sep 19, 2005)

I seen one guy with a kayak move into a spot on the river three years ago, fish it day in and day out and turn the best hole in the river into a 1/2 mile dead zone, I wouldn't promote it as the Comstock Lode, just because you boated 15 or 20 during the spawn run from the lake. it's not belleville or ford lake it's awfully easy for every boat to cover every inch of water on every drift.


Swampbuckster said:


> Oh, shoot. I don't know what secret fishery I just gave away. Are you responding to the top secret walleye run in the Detroit river? Or the well stocked and naturally reproducing channel cat fishery that exists throughout the entire Huron River watershed? Unless your talking about hydraulic pressure with this high water. If that's the case, I never thought of that, hope they survive.


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## twohats (Oct 1, 2004)

I fish it for cats its pretty good. Don't forget about the upper river near Ann arbor. The Dnr plants the lakes/ impoundments up there pretty heavily with them.


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## Swampbuckster (Nov 28, 2010)

twohats said:


> I fish it for cats its pretty good. Don't forget about the upper river near Ann arbor. The Dnr plants the lakes/ impoundments up there pretty heavily with them.


I've done real well between all of the dams throughout Ann Arbor for sure. They are underutilized throughout the system. Great way to get on big fish and fast action.


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## HuronBrowns (Apr 26, 2016)

Carp


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## twohats (Oct 1, 2004)

Love catching cats and bullheads. I don't keep any below the Flat Rock dam on down to Erie, do to those fish being migratory and having high contamination. I only keep a few small fish from the upper river 16" max . Take the back straps and tail fillets only, no belly meat.


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## Swampbuckster (Nov 28, 2010)

twohats said:


> Love catching cats and bullheads. I don't keep any below the Flat Rock dam on down to Erie, do to those fish being migratory and having high contamination. I only keep a few small fish from the upper river 16" max . Take the back straps and tail fillets only, no belly meat.


I solely c and r the cats. Was thinking of taking perhaps two small guys home though for the fryer next trip out.


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## concentroutin (Jan 7, 2014)

I shore fish them in Argo Pond on occasion and they can be a blast. Never 15-20 fish days, but 1 to 4 in a couple of hours is the norm. From this area of the river (and upstream), I will keep a smaller one once in awhile as the water is cleaner here, and they are tasty! Upstream from Barton Pond you can tie into them fairly regular when wading when targeting them, and occasionally when you are not. I got about an 8 lb'r (C&R) on my ultralight on a spinner when going after smallies and rock bass; what a riot!


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## Kaka Filipo (Apr 8, 2017)

concentroutin said:


> I shore fish them in Argo Pond on occasion and they can be a blast. Never 15-20 fish days, but 1 to 4 in a couple of hours is the norm. From this area of the river (and upstream), I will keep a smaller one once in awhile as the water is cleaner here, and they are tasty! Upstream from Barton Pond you can tie into them fairly regular when wading when targeting them, and occasionally when you are not. I got about an 8 lb'r (C&R) on my ultralight on a spinner when going after smallies and rock bass; what a riot!


Other than the canoe/kayak docks at the Argo dam, what are the other good shore access points on Argo? I’d like to take my son out there to try for some channel cats from the shore, but I’m not sure that fishing from that dock area just above the dam is going to yield much success. The only thing I’ve ever caught there is a few small pike.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

twohats said:


> Love catching cats and bullheads. I don't keep any below the Flat Rock dam on down to Erie, do to those fish being migratory and having high contamination. I only keep a few small fish from the upper river 16" max . Take the back straps and tail fillets only, no belly meat.


The entire Huron River watershed is under a Do Not Consume advisory, _*due*_ to PFAS. Migratory fish would have *less* contamination than resident fish. Some of the highest levels of PFAS have been found in the upper sections of the river.


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## twohats (Oct 1, 2004)

Fishndude said:


> The entire Huron River watershed is under a Do Not Consume advisory, _*due*_ to PFAS. Migratory fish would have *less* contamination than resident fish. Some of the highest levels of PFAS have been found in the upper sections of the river.


That Post I made was from 2107 before the PFS information and The DO NOT EAT ADVISORY. I haven't eaten a fish out of there in two years. Sad they didn't test for PFS years ago, many have eaten fish from that river and lake system.


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