October 16, 2026

How to Clean and Cook Channel Catfish From Highline Lake

Channel catfish are the whiskered heavyweights of Highline Lake State Park, and they give you dense, mild fillets that hold together in the pan. The quick version: skin the fish with pliers, trim off the dark red mudline and the belly fat, soak the fillets in buttermilk, then bake or fry them until the thickest piece reads 145 F. This guide covers how to tell a channel cat from its cousins, where and when to fish for one at Highline, what the meat is like, how to clean it step by step, three family-friendly recipes, and how to stay safe in the desert around the lake.

Meet the Highline Lake channel catfish

Colorado Parks and Wildlife describes channel catfish as gray to silver on the back and sides with black spots on the sides, a white belly, a forked tail, long barbels around the mouth and a fleshy adipose fin. Big fish often lose their spots and turn dark olive or slate. CPW says channel cats are native to eastern Colorado and have been stocked in warmer rivers and reservoirs across the state, and that cats larger than 30 pounds have been caught here. See CPW's channel catfish page.

The Missouri Department of Conservation field guide adds a handy ID check. A channel cat's anal fin has a rounded outer edge, while a blue catfish has a straight edged anal fin and never has dark spots. In Missouri, adults commonly run 12 to 32 inches and 1 to 15 pounds. MDC says adults spend the day in deep water or tucked around logs and drift piles, then move into the shallows at night to feed. They find food on the bottom by taste, smell and touch with those barbels, and they eat fish, insects, crayfish, mollusks and even plants.

Where and when at Highline Lake

CPW says Highline Lake State Park has two lakes to fish, Highline Lake and Mack Mesa Lake, with warm-water fishing for largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish and rainbow trout. Both lakes are typically stocked in the spring and fall. See CPW's Highline Lake park highlights.

  • Time of day. CPW says night fishing gives the best catfish success, and MDC says fishing is best near dusk and early in the night, or on a rise after a heavy rain. The park is open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., so plan on the evening bite and pack up before closing.
  • Bait. CPW suggests live bait, chicken innards, flavored dough balls or any other smelly concoction. MDC adds worms, cut fish, crayfish, liver, shrimp, cheese and stinkbait, plus the odd small spinner or spoon worked slowly near the bottom. The visitor center usually sells worms, lures and Powerbait.
  • Season. CPW says Highline Lake, the 160 surface acre main reservoir, closes every year from October 1 through February 28 to give migrating birds a place to rest. Mack Mesa Lake, the smaller lake, is popular with shore anglers, has an accessible fishing pier, and is known for fall trout and ice fishing in cold winters.
  • Ask first. Check with the Highline Lake State Park visitor center for the latest fishing report. Kids' loaner poles and tackle boxes are available there too; an adult signs them out with a driver's license.

Our Highline Lake and Mack Mesa Lake trip guide covers the drive and the day.

Check the rules before you keep fish

CPW's park page sends anglers to the Colorado fishing brochure for daily bag limits and lists a special rule for largemouth bass only. Look up the current catfish numbers in the brochure before you keep anything. Check CPW rules and regulations. This page is a cooking guide, and the CPW brochure is the regulation.

What channel catfish meat is like

Catfish is a dense, meaty fish. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant says its fillets hold together while they cook, that frying is one of the most popular ways to cook it, and that air frying, baking and grilling are healthy ways to cook it. It pairs with bold flavors like blackening spices, ginger, garlic, scallions and citrus, and with herbs like tarragon, thyme and parsley. Read the Sea Grant channel catfish fact sheet.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization's fish cookbook, writing about catfish in general, says well-trimmed fillets are mild and moist, whitish to light pink and flaky. Its fix for any muddy taste is to cut out the darker parts of the raw fillet and make sure the blood has drained. Read the FAO catfish page.

Utah's wildlife agency points to the same spots. The belly fat and the dark red line down the middle of each fillet, often called the mudline, are where contaminants settle, and a thin shiny membrane on the skin side can taste strong and make fillets curl. Trim all three, and soak the fillets in whole milk or buttermilk for 30 minutes to an hour to help remove any lingering fishy taste. Read Utah DWR's catfish cleaning guide.

How it compares with other fish

USDA FoodData Central lists raw fat per 100 grams as 2.82 g for wild channel catfish and 5.94 g for farmed channel catfish. For comparison it lists 3.46 g for wild rainbow trout, 1.70 g for tilapia and 0.67 g for Atlantic cod. Wild channel catfish also lists 16.4 g of protein per 100 grams raw. Search USDA FoodData Central. On those numbers, wild channel catfish is close to wild rainbow trout on fat and carries about half the fat of farmed channel catfish.

How to clean and prep channel catfish

Start with ice

Utah DWR suggests bleeding your catfish right after you catch it. It is optional, but it helps the meat. Cut or rip through the gills on both sides, or cut the artery at the tail, let the fish bleed in water for about 10 minutes, then move it to a cooler with plenty of ice. FAO notes that catfish spoils fast, so keep it on ice until you clean it.

What you need

  • A bucket or stringer, and a cooler with plenty of ice
  • A very sharp, flexible 6 to 8 inch fillet knife
  • Game shears or scissors
  • Catfish skinning pliers (needle-nose pliers work in a pinch)
  • A fillet glove or fish-handling rag
  • A cutting board with a clamp

That list comes from Utah DWR's step-by-step guide, which also notes that skinning goes much faster with real catfish pliers and a clamp board.

Skin it

  1. Watch the spines. Catfish have bony, barbed spines in the front of their pectoral fins that can lock in place. California Fish and Wildlife's after the catch guide says to snip them off before skinning.
  2. Score the skin with shallow cuts on both sides of the head and along the spine all the way to the tail.
  3. Break off the long barbels and the pectoral fins with pliers so the fish lies flat.
  4. Clamp the head to the board and hold the fish with the glove or rag.
  5. Starting at the scored cut by the head, grip the skin with the pliers and pull it toward the tail. Repeat on the other side.

Double fillet it

  1. Clamp the skinned fish by the tail, one side at a time, with the spine parallel to the board.
  2. Cut through the narrow part of the tail down to the spine.
  3. Keeping the blade flat to the board, work from tail to head along the spine.
  4. When you reach the rib cage, use your thumb as a wedge between spine and meat and slide the knife along the ribs until the fillet comes free. It can take a few passes.
  5. Trim out the dark red mudline, the belly fat and any connective tissue.
  6. Lay the fillet membrane side down, hold it flat with your hand, and slice off the shiny membrane.
  7. Cut big fillets into smaller pieces so they fry evenly.

Utah DWR calls this the double fillet, and recommends it for the best flavor and even cooking. Our trout fillet guide covers basic knife work if you're new to it.

Store it and clean up

The FDA says to keep seafood you'll cook within 2 days in the fridge at 40 F or below, and to wrap it tightly and freeze it otherwise. Never leave it out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it's above 90 F. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water after handling raw fish, and wash boards, knives and counters with soap and hot water. Read the FDA seafood safety page.

Three channel catfish recipes your family will love

1. Crispy oven-fried catfish nuggets

All the crunch of a fish fry with no pot of oil, and the one we'd hand a kid first. From Utah DWR's crispy oven-fried catfish nuggets by Darby Doyle (makes 4 servings).

  • 1 pound cleaned catfish fillets, cut into 1 1/2 inch nuggets or strips
  • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • Non-stick canola cooking spray
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to finish
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  1. Toss the catfish with 1 tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning, pour the buttermilk over it, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
  2. Heat the oven to 425 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and spray it lightly.
  3. Mix the cornmeal, flour, the other tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, the salt, and the garlic and onion powders.
  4. Drain off most of the buttermilk, leaving the pieces lightly coated.
  5. Toss a few pieces at a time in the breading, lay them on the sheet with space between, and lightly spray the tops.
  6. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and the fish flakes with a fork but is still juicy. Check the thickest piece for 145 F.
  7. Sprinkle with salt while hot and serve with tartar or remoulade sauce.

Air fryer option from Utah DWR's printable recipe: air fry the coated nuggets at 400 F for 10 minutes, flip, and keep going until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes more.

2. Classic fried catfish

The cornmeal-crusted fish fry everyone pictures. From Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant's Classic Fried Catfish (serves 4, 10 minutes prep, 25 to 30 minutes total).

  • 4 catfish fillets
  • 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • Vegetable or peanut oil
  • 1 sliced tomato and parsley sprigs, to garnish
  1. Mix the cornmeal, flour, salt, cayenne and garlic powder.
  2. Coat the fillets and shake off the extra.
  3. Heat 1 inch of oil to 350 F in a skillet.
  4. Fry the fillets in a single layer until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Check the center of the thickest fillet for 145 F before you pull them.
  5. Lift out, pat dry, and garnish with tomato and parsley.

Our shop habit: go light on the cayenne, or skip it, for the kids' batch.

3. Blackened catfish

A dark, smoky spice crust for the grown-ups. From Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant's Blackened Catfish by Amy Shambach, adapted from Barton Seaver (serves 4, 10 minutes prep, 25 to 30 minutes total).

  • 4 catfish fillets, skin off
  • 4 Tbsp butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup vegetable or peanut oil
  • 1 lemon, cut in wedges
  • 1/2 cup blackening spice mix: 2 Tbsp kosher salt, 1 1/2 Tbsp smoked sweet paprika, 1 Tbsp dried oregano, 1 Tbsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp onion powder, 1 tsp mustard powder, 1 tsp chile powder, 1 tsp ground allspice
  1. Stir the spice mix together and set it aside.
  2. Lightly salt the fish and let it rest 15 minutes.
  3. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until hot.
  4. Mix 2 Tbsp of the butter with all of the oil and brush it over the fish. Coat one side of each fillet with the spice mix.
  5. Lay the fish in the pan spice side down, turn the heat to medium low, and cook without flipping until a dark crust forms.
  6. Flip, sprinkle with more seasoning, and finish cooking. The recipe gives no exact time, so cook until the fish flakes and the thickest part reads 145 F.
  7. Drizzle with the rest of the butter and serve with lemon wedges.

Tips for picky eaters

These come from USDA's Healthy Tips for Picky Eaters:

  • Start with a small portion and be patient.
  • Offer one new food at a time, next to something they already like.
  • Let kids help. Shaking nuggets in the breading bag is a great kid job.
  • Offer choices, like tartar sauce or lemon.
  • Serve the same meal to the whole family.

Our shop habit: trim every bit of mudline and membrane, give the fillets the buttermilk soak Utah DWR recommends, and start new eaters on the nuggets.

The wild setting at Highline Lake

CPW calls Highline Lake State Park an oasis in the desert: two lakes, lush grass, trails and trees on 738 acres near Loma, with 9.6 miles of trail. It sits in the high-altitude desert that stretches from the Western Slope of the Rockies to the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada. Highline Lake was finished in 1967 using water from the Government Highline Canal, and Mack Mesa Lake dates to 1952. CPW lists mat saltbush, salt-cedar, prickly pear cactus and cottonwood among the park's plants. See CPW's Highline Lake State Park page.

Most of the park's mammals come out at night. By day, CPW says you can see squirrels, rabbits, prairie dogs, mule deer, and lizards and snakes of several kinds. The park is a National Audubon Society Important Bird Area with more than 200 bird species recorded, including snow geese, pelicans, blue herons, osprey, bald and golden eagles, owls, sandhill cranes, loons, loggerhead shrikes, Cooper's hawks and the vermilion flycatcher, which is extremely rare in western Colorado. The Blue Heron Marsh Trail below the dam is the place for mule deer, raccoons, red foxes and even bobcats, and the Mack Mesa S Trail looks out at Colorado National Monument, Grand Mesa and the Book Cliffs. See CPW's Highline activities and trails page.

Stay safe out there

  • Rattlesnakes. CPW's Highline page lists snakes of several kinds, and CPW says prairie rattlesnakes live across most of Colorado below the high mountains. Snakes get active around dawn and dusk, which is prime catfish time, so carry a light and wear boots, even in camp. If you hear a rattle, put at least five feet between you and the snake and move slowly back the way you came. Never try to catch, kill or move one, and treat any bite as a medical emergency. See CPW's prairie rattlesnake page.
  • Prickly pear cactus. It is on CPW's plant list for the park. Our shop habit: closed-toe shoes on the bank, watch where you sit and set your tackle down, and keep tweezers in the kit.
  • Western poison ivy. The Highline pages we used don't list it, so we won't say it grows there. The Forest Service says western poison ivy is a low shrub found widely across the western states. Remember "leaves of three, let it be." Touching it, or clothing or pet fur that brushed it, can cause itching, blisters or a rash, and thorough but gentle washing is the best cure. See the Forest Service western poison-ivy page.
  • Catfish spines. Those barbed pectoral spines can lock in place. Grip the fish carefully behind them with a wet hand or rag, and snip them before you skin it, per Utah DWR and California Fish and Wildlife.
  • Cold water. CPW says Colorado water counts as cold water, under 70 degrees, most of the year, and cold water shock can drown even strong swimmers. The National Weather Service says the gasp and rapid breathing of cold shock raise the risk of drowning, and that 50 to 60 F water can be as dangerous as much colder water. Wear a life jacket on the water. The visitor center lends them free with ID. Read the NWS cold water page.
  • Thin ice. Mack Mesa is known for ice fishing in cold winters. CPW says stay off ice two inches thick or less, and four inches of good ice can hold one person walking. Carry ice picks on a cord and 50 feet of rope. If you go through, put your hands on the unbroken ice, kick your feet, use the picks to pull yourself out, then roll away. Read CPW's ice safety guide.
  • Hunting season. The park allows small game and waterfowl hunting Monday through Friday in marked zones during legal seasons. CPW asks visitors to stay on designated trails, wear bright colors like fluorescent orange, keep dogs leashed with a bright bandana or blaze orange vest, and make noise so hunters know you're there.
  • Zebra mussels. CPW lists both Highline Lake and Mack Mesa Lake as infested with zebra mussels. Boats on trailers are inspected before and after launching, and there is a self-decontamination station near the Mack Mesa vault toilet for kayaks and fishing gear. Clean, drain and dry everything before your next lake. Read CPW's aquatic nuisance species page.

Before you go, browse our Colorado safety collection and our guide to dressing for a Grand Valley fishing day.

Food safety and fish advisories

  • Cook to 145 F. USDA's safe minimum internal temperature for fish is 145 F, measured with a food thermometer. See the USDA temperature chart.
  • No thermometer? The FDA says fish is done when the flesh is clear and separates easily with a fork.
  • Two-hour rule. The FDA says don't leave seafood out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90 F, because bacteria grow quickly between 40 F and 140 F.
  • Check the advisory for your lake. CDPHE, Colorado's health department, says some fish from some waters can carry high levels of mercury or PFOS, that bigger, older fish may have more mercury, and that cooking and cleaning fish do not remove mercury or PFOS. It posts site-specific advisories, and statewide guidelines apply where there is no site-specific one. The FDA also says to check for advisories when you eat fish caught by family or friends. Check CDPHE's fish consumption advisories.
  • Bag limits. For how many catfish you can keep, go to CPW's rules and regulations and the current fishing brochure. Verify the regs every season.

Gear for a Highline evening

Catfish nights run late. The VCO tumbler holds the coffee for the drive home, and the Valley Merch Pack is there if you want the full set. Made to order, ships from Grand Junction.

For Mack Mesa ice season, take a look at the Viral Cast Ice Rod. $164.99 pre-order. No ship date yet. Full refund any time before it ships.

Plan the trip

Start with our Highline Lake fishing guide and Mack Mesa fishing guide, then read our Highline Lake State Park day trip prep, the Mack Mesa Lake sister water prep, and the latest Colorado fishing reports. For another fish fry, try how to clean and fry yellow perch from Rifle Gap. When you know your plan, open the Trip Builder to map out the day.

Sources for this post