April 14, 2024 — Blue catfish grow to large sizes, are tasty to eat and can be easily caught in the majority of Maryland’s rivers — the problem is they’re considered invasive and are a threat to other native fish and aquatic life.
Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources is urging people fishing in the area to target blue catfish.
“Catch and keep as many as you want, any sizes,” said Branson Williams, the department’s invasive fishes program manager. “They’re really a tasty fish, and we’re encouraging people to eat them.”
Blue catfish are native to midwestern river basins, including the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Rio Grande rivers, Williams said.
The freshwater fish were introduced in Virginia during the 1970s to create a new sport fishery, according to the MDNR’s website.