TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX)-If you enjoy a good catfish fry or just enjoy catching them anglers will find several thousand have been recently stocked throughout the Gem State. The Idaho Department of Fish and says channel catfish raised in the Magic Valley have been stocked in various bodies of water from north Idaho to right here in southern Idaho.

In total Idaho Fish and Game has stocked around 30,000 channel catfish in 18 lakes and ponds in Idaho including Lake Cocollala, the Rexburg City Pond and more. Channel catfish can live quite a long time for a fish, often getting up to 15 to 20 years old, and come in at a hefty weight with a record fish caught in Idaho back in 2001 weighing 31 pounds out of Mann Lake in north Idaho, according to Idaho Fish and Game.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Idaho Department of Fish and Game
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Stocking helps maintain the non-native fish population in the state that spawn when water temperatures hold above 75 degrees. The fish are also fast growing in their early years and males reach sexual maturity in three years. Idaho Fish and Game says the fish are highly sought after at community ponds around the state. Anglers can use the Fish and Game Fish Planner to find spots around Idaho to catch the fish of their choice, including channel catfish, by going to www.idfg.idaho.gov.

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