Giant Catfish Lands in Kentucky Lake After Unusually Warm Water Draws Big Fish Shallow

KENTUCKY LAKE, Ky. — A commercial fisherman pulling nets near the Tennessee River arm of Kentucky Lake early Wednesday morning hauled in what local officials are calling one of the largest blue catfish ever documented in the state — a 118-pound, 58-inch fish that immediately became the talk of Marshall and Calloway counties.

Tommy Harlan, 54, of Gilbertsville, said he was working a set of hoop nets just after dawn when the line went taut. “I’ve caught some big ones out here over the years, but this one felt like I hooked a submerged log that decided to fight back,” Harlan said. “When we got it in the boat it just kept coming. My partner thought we’d snagged a tire.”

The fish, a female blue catfish, was weighed on certified scales at a nearby marina before being released back into the lake, according to Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources biologists who arrived on scene. Officials confirmed the weight and length but noted it falls short of the current state record of 121 pounds, set on the same lake in 2018.

Word spread quickly. By mid-afternoon, dozens of boats had gathered near the original net site and the marina parking lot filled with pickup trucks and families taking photos. A local radio station set up a remote broadcast. One teenager sold “I Saw the Catfish” T-shirts printed on a portable press in the back of a van.

Biologists said a stretch of unusually hot weather had warmed the upper layers of the lake, concentrating baitfish and pushing larger catfish into the shallower areas where Harlan’s nets were set. “Kentucky Lake has the habitat and the forage to grow fish like this,” said district fisheries biologist Elena Vasquez. “When the surface water heats up like it has this week, the big ones often move in tight to feed. People should remember this is still a wild animal. Give it space and follow the regulations.”

Harlan, who has fished the lake commercially for 22 years, said he has no plans to mount the fish. “She’s back where she belongs. I’ll tell the story for the rest of my life, and that’s enough.”

The catch comes just weeks before the annual Kentucky Lake Catfish Tournament, which organizers now expect will draw extra attention. Local restaurants have already begun offering “118-pound specials” — mostly jokes printed on chalkboards rather than actual portions.

Residents along the lake say the story has a familiar Kentucky flavor: a working man, a big fish, and a crowd that showed up ready to believe it was even bigger than it was.