Fish
Blue Catfish
Ictalurus furcatus
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Common Names
White Catfish / Large Catfish
Habitat
Vermillion River
Conservation
Secure
First Observed
1803-11-14
Observed At
Confluence of Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near present-day Cairo, Illinois
Common in large rivers of east and Great Plains. Corps caught nine near Vermillion River that weighed almost 300 lbs.
Recent sightings
Where it’s being seen today
3 research-grade iNaturalist observations between 2023–2025. Most recent: 2025-03-28. Sourced from Terrain360 trail captures, cached locally.
Journal References
15 journal entries mention Blue Catfish
Jul
23
1804
Clark: July 23, 1804
...ing on his left
breast. Wind from the N. W.
---
Camp White Catfish 10 Miles above the Platt River Monday the 23rd of July
1804 A fair morning Set a party to look for...
Jul
24
1804
Clark: July 24, 1804
White Catfish Camp 24th of July Tuesday. a fair morning the wind rose with
the Sun & blows hard from the S. thos...
Jul
25
1804
Clark: July 25, 1804
White Catfish Camp 25th of July Wednesday. Several hunters Sent out. at 2
oClock the Two men Sent to the Otteaz ...
Jul
26
1804
Clark: July 26, 1804
Whit Catfish Camp 26th of July Thursday. the wind blew Verry hard all Day
from the South with Clouds of Sand wh...
Jul
27
1804
Clark: July 27, 1804
White Catfish Camp 10 ms above Platt 27th of July Friday, a Small Shower
of rain this morning, at 10 oClock Comm...
Jul
27
1804
Lewis: July 27, 1804
white Catfish Camp July 27th Friday, Charged the Boat and Perogue after a
Small Shower of rain, Completed our or...
Jul
29
1804
Clark: July 29, 1804
...and on the L. S. in a fiew minits Cought
three verry large Catfish (3) one nearly white, Those fish are in great
plenty on the Sides of the river and verry fat, a qu...
Jul
30
1804
Clark: July 30, 1804
...Drawing off my courses to
accompany the map Drawn at White Catfish Camp, Capt. Lewis and my Self
walked in the Prarie on the top of the Bluff and observed the most
...
Aug
12
1804
Clark: August 12, 1804
... are almost in Sight of the Mahar TownCought
a verry Large Catfish this morniong, prepared the Indian present which we
intend given to the Mahars. P. Wiser apt. Cook...
Aug
25
1804
Spirit Mound, South Dakota — Patrick Gass: August 25, 1804
catfish, that would together weigh three hundred pounds.
The large catfish are caught in the Missouri with ...
Aug
29
1804
Spirit Mound, South Dakota — Patrick Gass: August 29, 1804
...oudy with some
thunder. We are generally well supplied with Catfish, the best
I have ever seen. Some large ones were taken last night. In
the afternoon the men who had...
Sep
7
1806
Missouri River through Dakota territory — John Ordway: September 7, 1806
...as so high, the Hunters killed 4 Elk and caught three
large catfish which was fat. towards evening the wind abated So
that we procd on untill after Sunset and Camped o...
Sep
8
1806
Clark: September 8, 1806
...rs very well, and we arived at
our old encampment at White Catfish Camp 12 miles above the river platt at
which place we lay from the 22th to the 26th of July 1804 h...
Sep
17
1806
Missouri River through Kansas-Missouri area — Patrick Gass: September 17, 1806
..., but very warm. One of our party last night caught a
large catfish, supposed to weigh 100 pounds. We got a great
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION — 287
many papaws on our...
Sep
18
1806
Missouri River through Kansas-Missouri area — Patrick Gass: September 18, 1806
...
ment, Cape
Cape Swell, see Swell, Cape
Catarack river, 215
Catfish, 20, 22, 24, 286
Cathlama Indians, their characteristics,
customs, and dress, 204
Cathlama village,...